We Wear the Mask
by VictoryInTrouble
Summary: Set at the beginning of season 4 with a wiser Sookie and slightly less infuriating Eric. Well, at least he doesn't walk into her bedroom when she's naked! Can Sookie and Eric get past their tough exteriors to give themselves a chance together? Sookie thinks so and has a plan to get to Eric's real self- beyond the mask. And now introducing AmnesiaPam! Rated M for language & lemons.
1. Chapter 1

She was back. He felt her and his eyes shot open even in his daytime slumber. Sookie!

He paced the floor, a jumbled mess of anticipation, until nightfall when he could go to her. He clenched and unclenched his hands as he paced, ignoring the blood escaping from his body. Sookie!

As soon as he could, Eric flew to Sookie's house to see her. Of course fucking Bill Compton got there first since he lived closer. That bastard barely let him talk to her before telling him to leave. Bill Compton, the vampire king of Louisiana. Wouldn't Sookie be surprised. Eric would have to make sure he got to see Sookie alone soon so she did not fall back under Bill's spell. Making his way back to Fangtasia, he spent another night sitting on his throne, but this time he could feel her. He made up his mind to go to her tomorrow evening. _Sookie_.

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Sookie sensed both vampires coming closer so she stepped out onto her porch to greet them. Bill. The shock and pain she felt at his betrayal came hurtling back as soon as she saw him. He thought she was dead? Well, maybe he felt a little of the pain she did when she thought about how he had misled and beguiled her.

Then Eric showed up and she could tell that Bill was not happy about it. When Eric said he was the only one who didn't give up on her, she wondered if that was true. Bill had thought she was dead and Jason had sold her house. Maybe Eric was telling the truth. But then Bill told Eric to leave... and he did?

Sookie spent the rest of the night with Jason, drinking hot chocolate and talking. He said he didn't know who bought the house but Sookie needed to find out so she could buy it back. She wouldn't lose her family's house. It was the only thing left.

The next morning Sookie made her way to Merlotte's to see her friends and try to get her job back. To her, she was only gone for a few minutes but it was more than a year to everyone at home. It felt wrong to lie about where she was but it's not like they would believe her anyway. She was used to being harshly judged. Just one more thing to hide.

Sam said she could start back part time and then it was time to meet with Portia Bellefleur, a lawyer, to see if she could find out who bought her house. Her heart sank as Ms. Bellefleur told her that some super secret company had bought it and that she had no real clue who was behind it. And they had put fifty thousand dollars worth of improvements into it? Sookie had no idea how she would pay that back. Ugh, this was worse than she thought.

As Sookie drove home after her meeting, she tried to think of what she could do. So far, nobody from this secret company had come to her house to try to force her out. Maybe they didn't know she was there yet. Well, when they did come, she would be ready with a plan to get her house back.

As she pulled up to her drive way, she noticed Eric leaning against her porch railing. Really? She was so not in the mood for him tonight.

"Eric? What do you want?" she questioned tiredly.

"To see you. We need to talk," he started before she cut him off.

"Eric, I'm not in the mood to talk to you. I have a lot on my mind. I need to find out who bought my house so- "

"I did," he stated casually, causing Sookie to abruptly shut her mouth.

"You!? You bought my house? Why would you do that?"

If he was honest with himself, he would know that he bought her house simply because he missed her. The nights he spent there made him feel closer to her. The whole house was filled with her scent and it was the only thing that made her absence somewhat bearable. As the months went on, he found himself spending more and more time there and even going to his daytime rest there.

"Because your idiot brother was selling it," he said instead, since he hadn't exactly examined his real reasons for wanting her house.

Ignoring the fact that he called Jason an idiot, because, let's face it, he was an idiot for selling, Sookie started up her front steps and decided to invite Eric inside. She supposed he could come in anyway since he owned the house, but she noticed that he waited outside instead.

Eric walked in at her invitation and sat down. He intended to talk to her about a lot of things. He had had a year to figure out what he wanted to say to her. A year to think about everything that happened between them. But there was one thing that he needed her to know right away.

"Sookie, I would have never let Russell Edgington hurt you. I hope you know this," he started. "I had a plan- that I shared with Bill- to keep you safe. I regret that you were scared as much as I regret drinking from you against your will."

"You...are apologizing?"

He nodded. "I never wished to harm you. Russell would have stopped at nothing to have you. I could not allow that."

In thinking about this, Sookie realized that was the second time Eric had sacrificed himself for her, the first time being at the Fellowship of the Sun church. Why would he do that for her, she wondered.

"But, Eric, you could have died. You almost did! Why would you die for me?"

"I would not have been the only one to die. It would have settled a very old debt... and also kept you safe. I believe you call that killing two birds with one stone?" he questioned with one eyebrow raised.

"Yes Eric, but I don't want anyone dying for me! I couldn't live with myself knowing you had died to save me!"

"Well, Miss Stackhouse. It was worth it. I do not regret that part."

"Well, I do! Eric, you have to promise me you won't ever do that again!"

"Oh, but that is something I cannot do."

"Ugh!" Sookie replied, frustrated. Calming herself with a deep breath, she switched gears. She did not want to spend tonight rehashing the past or fighting with Eric Northman.

"Fine, Eric. Well, thank you for taking such good care of my house while I was gone."

Eric's look filled with heat as he replied. "If you would like to offer me your gratitude, feel free."

"My... gratitude?" Sookie asked, confused. Then her eyes widened. "I'm not going to sleep with you, Eric!" she sputtered, his crudeness dawning on her.

"Hmm, we shall see. But that is not what I meant. I simply meant a kiss," he said in a deep voice while placing a finger on his cheek and turning his head slightly.

Sookie looked at him. She could kiss his cheek. That's not such a big deal. He had saved her from Russell and fixed up her house. Sure, a kiss. Fine.

"Just a kiss, Eric. On the cheek. Okay? Don't press your luck."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

As she bent down to kiss his cheek, she couldn't help but remember the last time she was this close to him. The thought of that magnificent kiss in Eric's office made her breath hitch and her heart race. Her face was so close to his that she was breathing in his ear.

Her scent enveloped him and he closed his eyes as he felt her lips on his skin. His hands made their way to her hips and he pulled her closer. Her face was still at his cheek but her breath, hot on his ear, was coming out faster now. Eric turned his face slightly toward her and brushed his lips lightly against hers. She made a small gasping sound against his mouth that went straight down and settled low in his belly, awakening his body. His fangs descended as Sookie brought her hand to the back of Eric's head, deepening the kiss. His tongue licked softly at the seam of her lips and she parted them. A soft growl rumbled through his chest as his tongue met hers. As her tongue grazed one of his fangs, he stiffened, _all_ over. He hissed and then growled loudly.

That sound broke through the haze in Sookie's brain and she was slightly mortified to see how close together their bodies were. She was practically straddling him!

She jumped back when she noticed where her body was, but not before noticing his _enthusiasm_ for her. She couldn't help where her eyes went and when she finally looked back to his face and saw him smirking, she knew he had seen where she was looking.

"See something you like?" There was that eyebrow.

At his familiar words, she was brought back to that time when she had walked in on Eric and Yvetta in the basement of Fangtasia. That time when he was stark naked and _very_ excited. It had taken all her willpower to keep her eyes on his face but she did it because she was so worried about Bill. Ugh, that bastard! The thought of Bill brought her back to reality and the very amused vampire in front of her.

"Where did you go, Miss Stackhouse? Perhaps remembering something else you liked when in my basement?" When her eyes shot to his, he continued. "You know, you and I could be having just as much fun right now, if you are so inclined."

Sookie stared at him, willing her mouth to work and her words to form. She was thinking about how expertly Eric controlled Yvettas body and all the extremely contented sounds she had been making when Sookie walked in. "I- I don't think so Eric," she stammered but her words lacked conviction and Eric took this as an opportunity to continue where they left off.

"Sookie," he grunted out as he stood and his gaze locked onto hers. His eyes were lust filled pools of black. He was a wild animal and he had just chosen his dinner. She felt the pull of his influence as if by glamour. Not that he was trying to exert control, but that the intensity in his eyes was so powerful. His gaze was fire and her body was _burning_. She felt unable to look away.

He stalked towards her and like a skittish animal, she stepped back. He advanced and she retreated in some unchoreographed dance of predator and prey. Her back reached the wall and stilled her movement. He smiled, and his eyes bore into her own, lips parted, fangs glistening, eyes narrow. He loomed above her, a deadly Adonis. He caged her with his arms and her heart beat wildly as he leaned down to her.

His hand reached out to trace her collarbone slowly and for a moment Sookie forgot how to breathe. When her body regained the ability, she took in a great shuttering breath and then his lips crashed into hers. His hands were in her hair and then tracing her body and all the while his mouth was working against hers. She opened her mouth to get some oxygen and that was his invitation to sweep his tongue in to touch hers.

Sookie lost herself in Eric's mouth and in the press of his body against hers. The only things she could think of were his talented lips on hers, his fingertips trailing down her body, his other hand in her hair. Sookie could feel his hardness against her belly and it made her feel wonton and sexy. She pushed against him until there was so space between them. He groaned against her lips. His coolness contrasted with her heat. She backed him up until he reached the couch and he sat down, pulling Sookie onto his lap. Her legs straddled him and she pushed her chest to his.

Sookie now felt his hard length under her and pushed herself down onto it. Eric growled and his hand in Sookie's hair tightened. He used his other hand to cup her ass and pull her more fully onto him. Sookie began to rock her hips and as her core rubbed along his length, Eric palmed her breasts and began to massage them.

He ran his thumbs over her nipples, enjoying the feeling of them as they hardened to peaks. He brought his hands down to tug at the edge of her shirt and lifted it over her head. He expertly unhooked her bra and leaned back to look at her.

"Beautiful," he murmured, reaching out for her again.

He continued to touch her and she continued to rock against him. He ran his hands along her shoulders and down her arms. His fingertips traced the swells of her breasts and along her ribs, over her stomach and hips. Then she moaned- low and long and sexy as hell. Her breath washed over his face and his fingers dug into her flesh.

His fangs flashed as he growled at her. His hand went to her hair, fisting it and tugging it back to bare her neck. Her sharp intake of breath caused him to pause and look at her face. He let go of her abruptly.

"Fuck, Sookie...," he whispered, as he felt himself beginning to lose control. He felt almost crazed with the desire to possess her, to take her, to pull her down and never let her up.

He dipped down to lay his forehead against her collarbone and inhaled deeply. He wanted his time with Sookie to be sweet and slow, not frenzied like this. He wanted to savor every second of it and worship her body like she deserved. He would not let the animal control him. As much as he wanted to drink her down and claim her hard and fast, he would resist. At least for their first time.

"You smell amazing, Sookie. Like sunshine and everything sweet and good."

"Mmm, thank you Eric. You smell good too," she purred as she kissed his hair.

She brought her fingers into his hair. She lightly scratched his scalp with her nails and felt him shiver slightly as his eyelids fluttered closed.

"Mmmm," he purred.

"Like that, huh?"

"I like anything you do to me, Sookie," he growled, his voice low and sexy. Raising his head, he continued. "But we have to stop. It cannot be like this. I have waited so long for this, I _will_ do it properly."

Sookie just looked at him. This was not what she expected from Eric Northman, that's for sure.

"Okaaaay" she said, suddenly embarrassed as she put her shirt back on and got up. Taking a deep calming breath she rambled, "Well thank you for fixing up my house. It was really nice of you and I'm not sure why you did it, but thanks. This house is all I have left of Gran and I would like to buy it back from you. I don't have the money to pay it all back right away but we could make a payment plan or something?"

She had said all of this in one breath while looking down at her hands, feeling awkward and unsure.

"I will give you back your house Sookie. It is not your money that I want. I want you, Sookie. I want you to be mine."

"Eric, you know I don't like all this vampire possessiveness. I'm not a thing to be owned," she said, sighing.

"But Sookie, I can protect you and you need protection," he said while walking toward her. "And there's something else we both need that I can do very well," he finished with a leering grin.

"Ugh, you are infuriating! Is that all you want from me? Sex? Did you do all this," she gestured with a sweeping hand, to her house, "just to get into my pants, Eric?"

"Not just for that. But I do admit it is a very nice added benefit."

"Eric, I'm sure you get plenty of benefits with the girls at Fangtasia. So until you can come up with a better reason, I will be just fine on my own!"

"You need me, Sookie! It will not be long before another vampire comes looking for you, and when they do, you will not be fine on your own! You will be dead!"

Eric had raised his voice, his fangs long and menacing, his eyes wild as he paced the living room. Sookie looked at his face, and the fury in his eyes and voice unnerved her.

"I'd like you to go!" she gasped, tears threatening her eyes. Eric stopped suddenly and his eyes searched her face. He retracted his fangs and walked to her slowly.

"Sookie," he brought his hand to her face and touched her gently, the backs of his fingers skimming over her cheek.

She stiffened and leaned away from his touch. As he brought his hand down, his eyes filled with an emotion that Sookie recognized as regret and sorrow. They stood silently for a moment until Eric whispered, "very well," and then was gone.

Sookie collapsed down onto her couch and let out a shaky breath. That really wasn't how she expected her evening to go. They hadn't even talked about her getting her house back. Ugh, next time Sookie was determined to have that conversation with Eric. He was even more complicated than she thought possible.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi lovely readers. So this is my first attempt at fanfiction. First attempt at fiction in general since my background is in technical writing. This is much more fun though. :)**

**Please review the story to let me know what you think! I love to see those numbers go up and read what people think! It's some excitement in my rather boring life. Lol.**

Sookie had a hard time sleeping because she just kept replaying her frustrating evening with Eric through her mind. He seemed to change so rapidly. One minute rude and vulgar, the next sweet. Stalking toward her with sex eyes and then stopping them abruptly. She found it hard to keep up with his moods.

She knew he wanted her. He had made that clear almost since they first met. But for the first time Sookie felt like maybe she wanted him back. He was an excellent kisser, that's for sure. But there was something almost childlike underneath his hard exterior. He certainly could be pretty immature but it was almost like he was battling with himself over which of his many sides he would show. She had definitely seen many sides to Eric Northman. He was rash and brazen but also loyal and honorable. He took his position as sheriff very seriously. He helped her find Bill even when he didn't want Bill to come back. He had respected her when she said she was Bill's and wore his ring. And when he came to her with Bill's betrayal, he didn't gloat about it which would seem typical. He actually seemed sorry that she was upset. Oh, his mouth could still infuriate her but he could actually be a decent man when he wanted to. Or _was_ he a decent man who put on a show of indecency when he wanted?

Her house, for example. Eric had spent fifty thousand dollars fixing up her house and he said he didn't want any of it back. So why would he spend his time and money on her house unless he cared about her? She was certainly grateful for it because the house was uninhabitable before she left for the Fae realm.

Well, one thing was for sure. She wanted to know the real Eric Northman, the man behind the mask as it were. Eric Northman cared about her. She knew he did despite his often cold or vulgar demeanor. But did he know he did? She needed him to understand his own feelings because she was sure that he was trying to fool himself into thinking he only wanted sex with her. She wanted him to be honest with both of them.

So when Eric showed up on her doorstep again the next night, and seemed eager to talk and ready to behave, she was ready too. He seemed sorry for upsetting Sookie the night before, even though he didn't exactly apologize. His eyes spoke for him, full of worry and softness and sorrow. When he held his arms out to Sookie, she was drawn into them as if by an invisible fishing reel. He encased her in his strong arms and she laid her head against his chest with a sigh. He held her tight for a long time, much longer than a normal hug, but she let him. She could sense his need to have her close. When he finally released her and she looked up to his face, what she saw in his eyes made her heart thump loudly in her chest. His eyes, like blue flames, spoke more than his words ever could. In them she saw desire and devotion, relief and joy and under all that, fear. She knew what he was afraid of, even as much as she knew he would never admit to the fear.

Here, like this, Sookie could almost fool herself into thinking that Eric was just a man. When he was so tender, so sweet and thoughtful. But then something would happen and he would slip back into his mask. The mask that hardened his features and his words. Sookie was determined that Eric remain soft and open with her tonight. She wanted to have an honest conversation with him without his posturing. She pulled him down to her couch to put his face level with hers.

Eric," she whispered. It was the first word either of them had uttered and Sookie whispered so as to not break the mood. She placed her hands on his cheeks as her thumbs traced his eyebrows. He leaned his face into her hands and closed his eyes.

"Eric," Sookie started again a little louder. "Can we talk? I would like you to trust me. I think we are more alike than you know." In an effort to relax them both, her hands moved from his cheeks and she began to trace his face with her fingertips. She lightly brushed her fingers over his ears and down his jaw on both sides. She traced his beautiful mouth with one thumb and slid one finger down his perfect nose. She turned her hands and let the backs of her fingers slide down his cheeks before raking both hands through his golden hair and letting them come to rest on his neck just under his ears. The whole time she was caressing him, his eyes were closed and his body was still. He made not a single sound.

"Sookie," Eric began in a husky voice, opening his eyes. He had enjoyed being petted like a cat and would have liked to take things further- like feeling Sookie's hands on the rest of his body -but he knew she wanted to talk instead. He would try to be good- for one night at least. "If you would like to have this conversation, you need to stop touching me like that. You are testing my control," he finished, sounding slightly strained.

With a sigh, Sookie returned to her seat next to Eric on her couch. She took his hand and turned her body towards him, curling one leg underneath her.

With a slight turn of his shoulders, Eric addressed her once more. "Tell me, Miss Stackhouse, how we are so alike. Do you enjoy drinking human blood? Or perhaps you delight in the carnal pleasures of the body as much as I do?" he said with that signature leering upturn of his mouth. Sensing Sookie's quickening breath, Eric's leer turned into a full grin.

"Stop it! Stop acting like that's all you care about, Eric! I know you run deeper than that. I know you have real feelings despite how you behave. You cover them up. You hide behind crude words and this perfect mask of indifference, pretending that nothing effects you. Well, I know you better then that! I know because I have seen you have feelings. I have seen you hurting and afraid."

"I am not weak!" Eric's voice boomed and his face became hard.

"Of course not! You are the strongest person I know! I don't think anyone could ever call you weak, Eric!"

Sookie squeezed Eric's hand hoping that he would calm down and listen to her. "Eric, can I tell you how we are alike? Will you listen to me?"

At his nod, she continued. With a deep breath, she looked at their clasped hands and she started speaking.

"For my entire life, I have known that I'm different. As soon as I understood how different I am, as soon as I realized that I was not meant to hear everything that I always do, I knew I would have to guard myself. I could never allow anyone to know everything that I am. It would be too dangerous. No one would want to be with someone like me. No one would accept what I am without question. I would never be normal. I would never just _be_. Especially now that I know more about my... background. My whole life has been a balancing act. Wondering how much of my true self I can show before someone gets scared off. I know what it's like to live with secrets. To have to keep myself hidden to protect myself. I learned from an early age to plaster on a big fake smile and pretend like everything was fine."

She looked at his face now. He was staring intently at her. Maybe he was starting to understand.

"So Eric, I get it. I do. You need to protect yourself. You have lived for a long time because you're so good at it. You are not weak, but you do feel. My mask is my crazy smile but yours is your emotionless indifference. I pretend I never heard the disturbing things I know and you pretend you never cared. But we both know it's a lie. We're actors, Eric. I admit you are much better than I am but you _have_ had a thousand more years to practice. You once told me that you don't know what love is but that's not true. You love Pam and you loved Godric."

At the mention of Godric's name Eric stiffened and pulled his hand from Sookie's grasp. Sookie immediately went to kneel in front of him to look in his eyes. She had seen how broken Eric was over the death of Godric. She knew that type of hurt just doesn't go away no matter how much you stuff it down. She was still just as broken over the death of Gran.

Sookie reached for Eric's hands that were resting near his legs, his elbows on his knees. When she touched him, he looked at her and she could see the swirl of emotion in his blue eyes. She had always heard that saying about the eyes being windows to the soul and she realized that for Eric, this statement held undeniable truth. For the first time when looking at him, she saw not the handsome young vampire he was, but the thousand year old man staring back at her. It suddenly struck her- a thousand years to walk this earth. A thousand years to experience and remember hardship and hiding, death and destruction. A millennia to perfect his act, his mask. What must Eric have been through in all those years? What must he have sacrificed of himself, of his humanity, to survive for so long?

As she looked into his eyes while he sat in her living room, she suddenly had the overwhelming urge to cradle him, to hold his head to her chest and whisper reassuring words to him. She wanted to run her fingers through his hair and tell him that everything would be alright, that he was safe with her, that he could drop the mask and the pretense. Since she had a feeling Eric Northman would not want to be treated like a small child, she just squeezed his hands and continued talking.

"You know what love is and how to care for someone. I know you do. You say you want me to be yours, but Eric, that would make you mine. I'm just asking you to try, Eric. I need you to try if you ever want us to be anything to each other. If you are mine, it's for more than just sex."

"What do you want from me?" Eric asked suddenly, his voice harsh but pleading.

"Everything," Sookie replied.

Eric stood abruptly causing Sookie to back up and let go of his hands. He stared at her intently with unreadable eyes. From one split second to the next, his eyes seemed to hold different emotions and Sookie couldn't tell what he was thinking or feeling.

"Well I do not have that to give!" he said in a forced whisper, his eyes desperate and needy.

Before she could reach for him or react, she watched him slip that mask back into place as he schooled his features. He took a step forward and then was out the door in a blur. Sookie heard the engine to his car rev and then he sped down her driveway. Gone.

Sookie sat down on her couch and sighed. She knew Eric would probably be heading back to Fangtasia but she would not follow. Eric needed some time to think about what she had said to him and to sort out his feelings. She knew they were there. She knew he was more complicated than he wanted to believe. His life was not all about power and feeding and fucking- not all about survival. He had real feelings buried deep inside and whether it took a shovel or a backhoe, she was going to help him uncover them.

**A/N- So, it's not so easy for them to come to an understanding. Eric is pretty set in his ways and is good at fooling himself. He's scared, but he has a hard time admitting it even to himself. Don't judge him too harshly. But please, review. You can judge me.**


	3. Chapter 3

**So, Eric is a mess in this chapter. Please don't hate him- he's scared and angry but mostly scared. There are lemons here but it's probably not the coupling you expect it to be. I apologize for Eric's actions. He is a vampire, and they're not the most polite creatures.**

**I forgot to add that little disclaimer I read in other fanfics but I'm sure you already know I am not Alan Ball or Charlaine Harris and I don't own these characters. I'm just taking them on a playdate.**

"Everything," Eric muttered to himself as he drove to Fangtasia. "What the hell does that mean?" He wanted to make her his. He wanted to fuck her and protect her, what more could she want? Love? He was vampire. He would not love a human. He would not turn into Bill fucking Compton. If she did not want what he was offering her, well, then fuck her! He could have any human woman he wanted. Fuck Sookie Stackhouse!

Eric pulled into Fangtasia intending to prove to himself how much he did not need Sookie. He found the first pretty girl he saw, told her to "come," and walked swiftly to his office without bothering to turn around to make sure she followed.

Once inside, he closed his office door and sat down, beckoning the petite redhead over to him.

"You want a ride with a vampire, little girl?"

"Um, y-yes," she stuttered, swallowing hard.

"Well, do you or don't you? There are plenty of other girls out there if you do not want to be here!" There were more than enough willing women. If this one wasn't, he would find one that was.

Since she didn't leave, Eric figured she knew what she wanted. He would give it to her.

"First things first," he said. "Come here." He opened his legs wide and motioned for the girl to come between them while unzipping his fly. The girl came around in front of him on her knees as he removed his impressive hardness from the confines of his jeans.

"Take me in your mouth," he ordered.

"My name is -," the girl started to say before he cut her off.

"Did I ask you what your name is girl?" As she shook her head with wide eyes, he continued. "That's because I do not care!"

The girl started to mumble an apology but he had had enough.

"Do I need to send you away and pick someone else? Now, do as I say or get out!"

Silently the girl put her hand on his hard length and brought it into her mouth. She brought him as deep as she could and used her hand to stroke the rest of him.

"Suck harder," Eric growled, his fangs descending.

She hollowed her cheeks to create as much suction as she could and tried to bring him deeper but gagged on his length.

"Oh, for fuck's sake! Do not make a mess or I will throw you out!" Could he not even get a decent blowjob? Fine, he would fuck her and bite her and then be done.

Eric reached for her arm and pulled her off of his cock and onto his lap. Thank the gods she was wearing a dress so he wouldn't have to bother undressing her. He reached under the skirt and pulled her panties aside while slipping a finger into her. Wet and tight. She would do nicely. Removing his finger, he pushed her down further onto his lap as he slid into her. She gasped and he smirked. This was what he had to give.

Yes, mindless fucking is just what he needed. But instead of enjoying the girl quivering in his lap, his thoughts returned to _her_. Why did she torment him? Why did he think of little else since he had first laid eyes on her? Back when she was Compton's. Back when he thought that if he was persistent enough, she would find her way into his bed. Well, they had shared nothing but a few kisses.

And then she was gone for an entire fucking year! Pam had taken to pushing pretty girls into his office for him to fuck and feed from just to try and ease his pissy mood. He did fuck most of them but they were not who he wanted. For those many months she was absent, he was crazy. Enraged by the slightest provocation, he scared the pathetic fangbangers so much that Pam said it was bad for business and her bed. Now Sookie was back and she seemed to want him but she was asking for something he could not give. Fuck! She was infuriating!

Whimpering brought his attention back to the present and the girl on his lap. He realized his hand had fisted into her hair, pulling it, and immediately let go. Redoubling his efforts to fuck Sookie out of his mind, he rocked his hips at vamp speed and the girl started moaning loudly. At least someone was enjoying what he had to offer. He pulled down the front of her dress to expose one of her breasts. His mouth latched on greedily and he sucked until her nipple hardened under his tongue. When he bit down, she convulsed and screamed out her orgasm. Eric pulsed inside her, finishing with a grunt. He removed his mouth from her breast and lifted her off his lap. She stood in front of him on shaky legs and smoothed her dress, covering herself. She reached for him but he stood quickly and strode to his office door, zipping his fly.

"That will be all," he stated as if she had just come to take dictation. At her apparent hesitance to leave, he added, "Get. Out." which seemed to break her out of whatever post vampire-fucking haze she was in and she walked quietly to the door to leave.

With nothing left to distract him, he thoughts returned to Sookie and what she said to him earlier. His mask, as she called it, had served him well over the years. He had lived for a thousand years precisely because he was not weak with feelings. He knew how to formulate well thought out plans without regard to such feelings. The only thing that was important was survival. What was it Godric had said? That he had been wrong about that? Yes, Godric had developed feelings and look where that left him! Well, Eric Fucking Northman was not going to meet the sun, that's for damn sure! If sex and protection was not enough for Sookie Stackhouse then she could just go out and get herself killed for all he cared!

So why did the thought of his life without her in it make his stomach tighten and his hands clench? Why was he always inexplicably drawn to her? And why was it so important to him that she _choose_ him? Was she right? Was he just a good actor? Did his act fool even himself? Eric was sick of all these questions! They had tormented him for much too long. Deciding to think no more about her this evening, he headed out into the bar to sit on his throne.

He caught Pam's eye and cursed as she headed over with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"Still brooding, I see," she said in a low voice.

"Pam, save it. I am not in the mood!"

"I thought that since Sookie is back, you would finally stop being such a dick. Eric, just fuck her already! She is no longer Compton's."

"It is not that simple, Pam. Sookie is not a fangbanger. She will not just fall into my bed. She wants... commitment. She thinks I should love her." He said this last part with such disdain that Pam couldn't help but snort.

"Eric, you have spent this whole last year obsessed with finding her. You bought her fucking house! If that's not commitment, I don't know what is!" she laughed as she walked away.

Fuck.

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Sookie spent the rest of the evening trying to come up with a way to get Eric to realize his deeper self. She was wandering around her house, looking at everything Eric had fixed and cleaned up. When she first noticed the double doors leading underground she was angry. She might even have cursed. Then she became curious. She decided to go down and see what was in Eric's cubby.

Her first thought was that it looked like a pretty nice place to spend time. She wasn't sure what she had thought it would look like, but it was a hotel suite compared to where Bill rested. There was a nice bed and a table with a bunch of books. Hmm. It looked like Eric liked to read many different types of literature. That was surprising. He was just full of surprises the more she got to know him.

Sookie realized that Eric must have spent quite a lot of time in her house. And not just for resting because you can't read when you're dead. She wondered what he told himself he was doing there.

She couldn't help herself and she laid down on Eric's bed. It was surprisingly comfortable and it smelled like him. She inhaled deeply and thought about what it would be like to really be with Eric, to be his. No doubt, he'd be challenging but sometimes challenges were fun. The one thing that worried her was whether or not Eric could be faithful to her. He seemed to be much more vampire like than Bill in that way. His bar sort of put him on display and Sookie had no doubt that he had sex with many of the ladies there. But there was always True Blood and she would be with him so she didn't think it unfair if she asked him to be with only her. She just hoped she could keep up with him. But, mmm, she wanted to try!

She had to admit, even to herself, how beautiful Eric is. His impressive height, his passionate eyes, his huge hands and long fingers. Sookie realized she needed to think of something else because that beautiful vampire was off brooding somewhere and she could not be with him tonight.

Sookie thought some more about how to get to Eric's heart the way she knew she got to his body. What would it take to capture that precious part of him? Sookie smiled as she formulated her plan. If it worked, she might just get both his heart and his body tomorrow night.

**A/N: I hope you all still love Eric. Don't worry, I'm not trying to introduce unnecessary angst into the story. Sookie is not going to get jealous of his past conquests. I'm just trying to show you Eric's state of mind and the extent of his denial of the truth. Next chapter should be happier for them.  
>As always, please review!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's the next chapter of the story. In this one, these two finally make some progress.**

**I hope you are enjoying this story. If you would be so kind, please review when you finish this chapter! I love reviews!**

**As always- I don't own these characters. But I really like 'em!**

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Sookie wasn't sure if Eric would come back to her house after the last evening when he ran out. So two hours after sundown when he still hadn't shown up, Sookie made up her mind to go to Fangtasia to talk to him.

She knew the bar would be open but she wasn't sure when Eric usually got there. Since it was an hour drive, she decided to just go now. If Eric wasn't there yet, she would just have a drink and maybe dance a little while she waited.

She went to her closet to find something to wear. She choose a light blue sleeveless dress that deepened to navy at the bottom and a matching shrug. October nights could get a bit chilly.

With that settled, she got in her car and started driving. As she turned into the parking lot to Fangtasia, she saw a big group of protestors with signs. They were shouting awful things about vampires. Why was it that the ones who profess to know the most about God's love, are the ones who spew the most hate? Shaking her head, Sookie parked and made her way to the entrance of the bar.

As she was walking up to the door, one of the protestors stepped in front of her, blocking her way.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing at this bar for dead fuckers and fangbangers? You don't look like a fangbanger," he sneered.

"Oh, really, Elijah?" she said, using his name that she got from his thoughts. She got right into his shocked face and gritted out between clenched teeth, "you better get the hell out of my way unless you want me to tell all your friends here just what you've been gettin' up to with the man you met in the bathroom of Millie's Diner!"

He was shocked speechless and could not reply but he got out of her way at practically vampire speed.

Sookie smiled, smoothed her dress, and continued on her way to Pam who was at the door.

"Well, well, if it isn't little miss sunshine," said Pam. "Nice job out there. What did you say to that idiot?"

"Oh, that? I simple reminded him of the gay sex he has on the regular in some of the nastiest bathrooms in the city. He was happy to let me go on my way," Sookie's eyes gleamed.

"I might have underestimated you, Stackhouse," Pam said appreciatively. "Eric is not here, though. In case you came for him."

"When will he be here? I can wait."

"I don't expect him for a while. But I will call him and tell him of your arrival. I'm sure you'll see him soon."

"Thanks!" Sookie smiled brightly. "I'll just have some fun while I wait for him."

"You do that, darling," Pam replied looking her up and down. "I'm sure Eric will be delighted to see you when he arrives."

Since she had some time to kill, Sookie sauntered up to the bar and ordered a drink. Liquid courage and all that. She would need it for the night she had planned. As she sipped her drink she visually scanned the room, intentionally avoiding eye contact with any of the men. What was it about eye contact that suddenly gave a guy the boldness to approach? She just wanted to be left alone and she certainly did not want to be in the company of another man when Eric saw her.

So, there she was, sipping her drink, moving to the beat of a particularly favorite song, when she felt a hand on her arm.

"Hey Sugar. Dance with me!" said a deep voice. Sookie turned and looked up into the brightest green eyes she had ever seen. They kind of arrested her with their greenness causing her to stare.

It was, of course, at this exact moment that Eric walked into the bar. He immediately zeroed in on Sookie and the man with his hand still on her arm.

He growled low in his chest and the people close enough to hear it scrambled to get out of his way. He charged over to Sookie and luckily for him, the man dropped his hand before Eric got to them.

"Miss Stackhouse, who is your friend?" Eric asked with forced calmness and a mock smile.

"My friend?" Sookie questioned. "Oh! I don't know him. He just asked me to dance."

Green Eyes was backing away at this point, clearly intimidated by the huge and apparently pissed off vampire in front of him. He raised his hands in a surrendering gesture, turned and quickly made his way across the bar.

"Oh, Eric, you scared him! He didn't do anything wrong."

"He touched you."

"On the arm!"

"Yes, exactly! He had no business touching you anywhere!"

Sookie sighed and looked at Eric for a few moments. He stared at her as if trying to bait her.

"Look, Eric, we need to talk. Can we go into your office?" Sookie did not want to argue over Eric's possessive attitude right now. She had other things on her mind.

Eric leered at her. "I would love to take you in my office, Sookie." He swept his arm out in front of himself, inviting her to lead the way.

"Just talk-ing," she sing songed at him. She had to hide her smile as she walked ahead of him. Sometimes he was so predictable.

"Eric, I have a proposition for you," Sookie started after they had both taken seats in Eric's office. Eric had brought his chair around to the front of his desk next to Sookie's.

"Oh? Do go on." Ah, leer _and_ raised eyebrow. Yup, predictable.

"Not that kind of a proposition! But it's still something you might enjoy."

"Please, explain," he said, now raising both eyebrows in curiosity.

"Well, I want you to stop denying your feelings for me."

"Sookie, I am denying nothing. I am vampire, we do not love humans."

"Pardon my words but that's bullshit, Eric! Now, can I continue?"

"Of course," he smirked. If Sookie was cursing, he knew she must be pretty upset so he let her finish uninterrupted.

"Ok, so my proposition is this: we go back to my house and talk- don't go furrowing your brow, Mister, I'm not done.- We talk, honestly, thoughtfully, and for every one of my questions you truthfully answer, I will give you a kiss."

The look on Eric's face was priceless- a mixture of lust and worry and surprise. He recovered quickly, though. "Well, aren't you full of surprises, Miss Stackhouse? I accept." Eric figured he was quite irresistible and after a few kisses Sookie would forget her silly game and go to bed with him.

As if sensing his thoughts, Sookie warned, "Okay, Eric, but I'm telling you right now- only kisses. That's all you're gonna get tonight. Don't try to press me for more and don't think you're gonna get anything unless you're truthful with both of us tonight. Deal?"

"Deal, Miss Stackhouse. When do we leave?"

"Do you need to feed? I won't have a hungry vampire in my house kissing me. I want you to be able to control yourself."

"Are you offering?"

"What? No! But I don't have any True Blood, so if you're hungry, you need to take care of that before we go."

"I am fine. I do not need blood tonight." Eric remembered yesterday and felt slightly ashamed about the girl he had in his office. He shook it off and smiled at Sookie. "Shall we?"

As Eric and Sookie made their way to the parking lot, they realized that the crowd of protestors had gotten so big, that both of their cars were now blocked in.

"Shit!" Eric muttered. Pam had informed him of Sookie's altercation with one of those fuckers and while he would have liked nothing more than to tear him limb from limb, he could not do so in front of their cameras. In order to avoid causing problems, Eric would need to avoid these morons until he no longer felt murderous towards them.

He turned to Sookie. "Pam told me of how you swiftly dealt with one of those protestors. You earned her praise, which is impressive especially for a human."

Eric's eyes shone with pride, which made Sookie's heart swell. He was proud of her! She smiled but ducked her head. "Thanks," she said rather shyly.

Eric lifted her face with a finger under her chin. "I do have another way of getting to your house. It will be faster too. Do you trust me?"

What a loaded question, thought Sookie. "Actually, yes. I do." She realized it was true.

"Good. Then come here." Eric grabbed Sookie around the waist after placing her arms around his neck. "Put your legs around me and lock your ankles behind me."

"Eric?"

"You trust me, right?"

Sookie did as he said and then realized right before he took off, just what he had planned. She tried not to freak out when she felt herself being lifted into the air but she squeaked and buried her face in Eric's neck. God, he smells good, she thought.

After a few minutes of Eric's steady flying, Sookie started to relax. That is, until she realized Eric was the opposite of relaxed as evidenced by the quite obvious erection pressing against her center. She gasped and looked up at him.

"What?" Eric smirked. "I can't help it when you are so close to me. Especially because your dress has moved and there is not much between us at the moment."

Sookie looked down and noticed he was right. Her dress had ridden up exposing her thighs, making her underwear the only thing between her naked self and Eric's jeans. Thank God for those jeans!

"Eric, I'm cold. Are we almost there?"

"Just about. However, we can land now and I will run you to your home if you wold be more comfortable."

"Yes, that sounds better. Thanks!"

Going down was ten times more terrifying than taking off and Sookie's stomach dropped as if she were on a roller coaster. She buried her face once more in Eric's neck and squeezed him tight with her arms and legs.

She heard him groan but was really too scared to care that he was getting some amount of pleasure from her fearful embrace.

They landed and Eric had to clear his throat twice before Sookie realized they were on the ground.

"As much as I love having you wrapped around my body, Miss Stackhouse, it is quite a bit more difficult to run with you in this position." He had heat in his sparkling eyes.

"Oh. OH! Sorry!" Sookie was embarrassed that she was clinging so much and for so long. She quickly released Eric and he set her down.

"No apology necessary. As I said, I quite enjoyed it." Eric was grinning widely.

"You know, your smile really lights up your face, Eric. You should do it more often." Sookie winked at his surprised expression.

Instead of replying, Eric scooped Sookie up in his arms and began running at vamp speed through the woods to her house. They were not far so the run only took a few minutes. They were both silent the entire time, both deep in thought.

When they reached Sookie's house, instead of putting her down right away, Eric insisted on carrying her into the house and placing her on the couch. As he leaned to put her down, their eyes met and held. Sookie thought he was going to kiss her but instead he only touched his forehead to her own and sighed. It was a surprisingly human and intimate gesture and it gave Sookie great hope for their evening ahead.

"Sookie," he whispered before standing quickly and sitting across from her on a chair.

Neither one of them spoke for what seemed like an eternity. Both seemed to sense that this night would be a turning point in their relationship. While Sookie was apprehensive, she took in Eric's fidgeting hands and quickly bouncing knee, and realized that he was too.

"Eric Northman, are you nervous?" she asked with a smile in her voice.

"What? No, of course not! I do _not_ get nervous!"

"Okay," she chirped, grinning at him. "Why don't you come sit next to me?"

He rose from his chair and sat on the end of the couch but he kept his body rigid and remained quite ill at ease.

"Oh, Eric. Relax, hun!" Sookie realized that Eric seemed almost fragile tonight and she decided to treat him gently so he didn't run out her door again. He had a pretty bad track record for that at this point!

"I do not enjoy talking about feelings. I'm not sure what you expect me to say." He would not look at her.

"Just the truth, Eric. The truth beyond what you may tell yourself sometimes. Beyond the masks we wear. The simple truth."

"I will try." He looked at her then. _Those_ _eyes_. They told her everything she needed to know and now she only hoped that his words would be so forthcoming. She decided to jump right in with the questions.

"Eric, I found your cubby. You wanna tell me why you built an underground resting place in my house?"

"It's my house."

"Yes, well, I'm sure it's not your only house and I'm sure it's nowhere near your nicest. So, why would you go to my house to rest?"

Eric hadn't really thought about this question as evidenced by his silence. He tried to examine his motives. "I needed to be here in case anyone had any news about you!" He smiled because he knew this was a good answer.

"Because your cell phone was broken?"

Eric's face fell. It wasn't that good of an answer.

"Do you want to know what I think?" Sookie said gently.

"I'm sure you're going to tell me."

She smiled. "I think you missed me."

Eric's eyes shone as he looked at her. Of course he missed her. Everyday for a whole year, he missed her. Was that why he bought her house and spent his time there?

"Yes."

"C'mere." She crooked her finger at him and he scooted next to her. "Your reward for an honest answer," she whispered while closing the distance between their lips. It was a light kiss, just a brushing of her lips against his, but it sent sparks through her body. Eric brought his hands up to the sides of her face but she leaned back before anything more could happen.

"Ready for more?"

"Always."

"Okay, next question. Why did you let Bill keep me? I've seen you in Sherriff mode, you always get what you want. When I first met you, I wasn't with Bill yet. Why didn't you tell him to back off so you could have me?"

Eric remembered back to the first time he saw Sookie, standing there in his bar. Her beauty captivated him but her spirit enthralled him. He was so used to the simpering fangbangers that frequented Fangtasia, Sookie was like sunshine in that dark room. The way she talked to him like an equal instead of something to be revered, had made him instantly hard. But it was more than that, he found that he liked her sass and had no desire to douse her fiery nature. He wanted her, but he didn't want to take her. She was a surprise in his otherwise dull, predictable existence. And her telepathy? Yes, she was quite a surprise.

"I liked you."

"Pardon me for saying so, but duh! Of course you liked me! I could tell you were interested from the start. But you didn't tell Bill to give me up. Why?"

"You were different! You are different. The way you talked to me. You weren't scared of me and you didn't want me."

"So, I was a challenge?"

"Well, at first, yes. You intrigued me. I- I just kept thinking about you. I couldn't stop. Honestly, it pissed me off! I thought...I thought you might eventually want to be with me. But that never happened..."

Taking his hand, Sookie reassured him. "Until now."

He gave her those eyes again, just for a moment.

"Another kiss?" Eric asked brightly. Like a kid in a candy store, Sookie thought.

"I guess you've earned it."

Eric reached out to her and pulled her face close. He captured her bottom lip between his and sucked lightly. When he licked her lip, she opened her mouth to touch her tongue to his. They stayed there, lost together, until Sookie reluctantly pulled away. Eric sat back against the couch, waiting expectantly for another question. He was beginning to like this game.

"You are being quite the gentleman, Eric. I'm kind of impressed."

"Sookie, do you dare insult my chivalrous nature? I do know how to behave." Maybe he wasn't always so predictable. But then he added, "Unless, you want me to be bad," and Sookie giggled. There he was.

"Be quiet, you! Okay, next. You said you thought about me often. Well, I had a few dreams about you after, you know, what happened in Dallas. Did you ever dream of me?"

"Vampires do not dream, Sookie. We are quite literally dead for the day. But I, uh, had what could be called a daydream... about you."

"You did?

The look he gave her was a mixture of pain and pleasure and quite a bit of embarrassment.

"Tell me," she invited, as she took his hand in her lap. She stroked his palm and his fingers and kept her head down so as not to embarrass him further with her gaze.

"We, uh, were in a bedroom... No, it wasn't like that!" he said when he saw Sookie was about to protest. "I came into the room and you had been crying. But then you, you smelled me. You said you were smelling my memories. You knew that I played by the North Sea as a child. I was confused because that's not possible and I told you that. You called me Cowboy and you kissed me. I think it was just about to get good because you pushed me down onto the bed and took off your robe. Then I was interrupted." He was scowling adorably.

"Wow, Eric! What do you think that means?"

"Means? It means I wanted to go to bed with you! But don't I get a kiss for telling you about it?"

"Okay, but we still have to talk about what it means after."

"Then, I'll get another kiss."

He leaned in with his whole body, causing Sookie to lean back just as much. In a quick maneuver, he had Sookie completely underneath him and was attacking her mouth with his own. Until this point, Eric had easily kept his fangs in check but they were now throbbing in his gums as he fought to control them. His erection was throbbing in his pants, but he had even less control over that. He was sure Sookie could feel what she was doing to him. Their kiss was fast and frenzied but when Sookie grabbed his ass and pushed his hips into hers, he lost the fang battle and they came down, hard.

"Shit, Sookie!" he gasped and attempted to move away from her. Sookie's hands were still on his backside and she pushed against him, staying his movement. "Sookie, I can't. Please. It's too much. The questions. The kisses. Please, Sookie." He was babbling desperately into her mouth.

"Shh, Eric. Okay, get up. It's okay. But stay here, please? Don't leave again? We can just talk."

Eric sat up in one fast motion and smiled at Sookie, willing himself to calm down. "I'll stay. But can I ask you a question?"

"I suppose that's only fair. Go ahead."

"Why do you want me, Sookie?"

To say his question surprised her was an understatement. The way he looked at her, with need in his eyes, Sookie knew he was laying himself bare before her. She ached to reach out to him and hold him. But first, she needed to answer him.

"Oh, Eric! For so many reasons. You are loyal and brave. You are beautiful. You have always respected me, even though sometimes you were a smug asshole. I was never afraid of you. You have gone above and beyond what you needed to do for my friends and family. You could have killed Lafayette and Jason but you didn't. You protect me in every way that you can. You are capable of great devotion and depth of feeling, even if you think you are not. And when you decide to give your heart to someone, you love completely and without reservation."

When she finished talking, they just stared at each other. He was looking at her with something like awe in his eyes, but there was another emotion that she could see. An emotion that was just dawning on its owner. Sookie was sure he felt it but she wondered how long it would be until he could recognize it fully.

Realizing how much the night had taken its toll on her, she asked, "Eric, it's really late. Do you want to stay here tonight? You can sleep in your cubby. I need to go to bed."

"Can I come lay down with you? Until dawn? Just sleeping."

"Sure, but you'd better be on your best behavior. I really am tired."

"Of course."

"Come on then." She grabbed his hand and led him upstairs to her bedroom. "I'm going to go change and brush my teeth and all that. You can make yourself comfortable," she said, gesturing to the bed.

Sookie went into her bathroom to get ready. She changed into a tank top and pajama pants, did the rest of her bedtime routine and walked back toward her bed. She stopped abruptly. It seemed that Eric took her words literally as he looked extremely comfortable on her bed, wearing nothing but his underwear. Sookie knew that he was a good looking man but she was not prepared for the near naked glory that is Eric Northman to be on her bed. Damn, she thought. Too bad I'm so tired.

Eric's face split into a huge grin. "What? I was just doing what you said. I'm very comfortable."

"Sure, Eric." Sookie pulled the covers back and climbed into bed. Eric put his arm under her shoulders and pulled her close. She rested her head on his chest and took a deep breath. "I love the way you smell," she sighed drowsily.

While Eric listened for Sookie's breathing to even out, he thought back over the evening they had shared. The way that Sookie talked about him- he wasn't sure he was really that person. Was he actually capable of the deep feelings Sookie attributed to him? Eric held onto Sookie a little tighter. She felt so right in his arms- like this was where she belonged. As he listened to her slow even breaths and felt the soft weight of her body wrapped around his, he became aware of a new emotion bubbling up inside him. It felt like... joy. Like glorious, exhilarating, terrifying joy! Eric smiled there in the dark. Yes. He felt whole, he felt right, he felt... happy.

Eric continued to hold her while she slept, until almost dawn, when he knew he needed to go down to his cubby. He didn't want this feeling to stop, though. He didn't think Sookie would mind if he took her with him, so he carefully lifted her sleeping body and made his way downstairs. Once he had tucked her gently into his side once more, he tenderly kissed her head. He looked at her beautiful face and felt that now familiar rush of emotion. "I think I love you, Sookie Stackhouse," he whispered to her just before the sun rose and he died for the day.

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**A/N: So that was happier, right? I hope you liked it!**

**I think someone sent them a basket of citrus, special delivery for tomorrow night! That should be fun! :)**

**Please PLEASE review! It really makes me happy!**


	5. Chapter 5

**This took longer than I thought to get out because Sookie and Eric wanted to have more fun than I originally planned. Really, I couldn't control them! **

**This chapter contains explicit content so I hope you are an adult. It's rated M for a reason!**

**I still don't own them, blah, blah. If I owned that Viking, he'd never leave my bed!**

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Sookie woke up in the dark, disoriented. Surely the sun should be up by now. Slowly her senses returned to her and she felt Eric laying next to her with his arm under her head. This must be the bed in Eric's cubby. Only, she didn't remember falling asleep here. That vampire brought her down to sleep with him! She was too amused to be mad and she did have the best night's sleep she had gotten in a while.

Sookie sat up slowly and almost as soon as she moved, the lights came on. She looked down to Eric, resting at her side. When she had started out on what she liked to think of as _Operation Get to Eric's Feelings_ she wasn't prepared for just how much he had gotten to her. She had always cared for Eric, had always wanted him with some small part of herself but now she was pretty sure she was falling in love with him. She was also almost positive he was feeling the same thing for her. Last night's little adventure had borne fruit and she was confident that Eric would not be able to deny his feelings toward her again.

As she gazed down at him then, she could honestly say that she had never seen a more beautiful man in her life. He was perfect. His face, angelic in repose; his body, carved from ivory by a sculptor's hands. Blond hair, mussed from the night before, brushing across his forehead, lashes sweeping the planes of his cheeks, and the soft curve of his relaxed mouth lent him an innocence only observed in his rest. His broad shoulders and long neck spoke of his great strength as did his rippled chest and abs. Her fingers tingled with their need to touch him. She longed to caress every inch of his alabaster skin.

She reached out her hand and made a tentative trail down his chest with light fingers. She traced every curve of muscle, letting her fingers play over his abs and down to his hips. There, she hesitated. She longed to continue her downward exploration but she felt it a little improper in this circumstance.

"Sookie, don't stop," Eric whispered softly, causing Sookie's head to whip around to look at him.

"Eric! Oh my gosh! I, um, I'm so embarrassed!" My name is Sookie Stackhouse and I feel up vampires when they're dead, she thought.

"Sookie, it's fine," he assured her with a grin. "I know I am irresistible."

She smiled back at him. "I just wanted to touch you. I didn't know you'd wake up, or you know, whatever."

He chuckled. "Yes, I find it's hard to rest while being set upon by a beautiful woman."

"I'm sorry. I should go and let you rest."

"No, please, stay here. Touch me. I want you to."

"But, Eric, you'll get the bleeds if you don't rest."

"I find I do not care. I just want to be with you."

"Okay, tell ya what, let me take care of some stuff and I'll come back down soon. I don't even know what time it is. And I'm hungry."

"Mmm, as am I."

"Eric!" she chided, smiling. "I'll be back."

She climbed up to her house and shut the cubby doors securely. She took care of her bathroom needs and then went to the kitchen for something to eat. She needed to keep up her strength if she was going to feed her vampire later. As she passed a clock, she was startled to see that it was already half past two. She decided to eat a simple meal of soup and salad and then hopped in the shower. She washed quickly, foregoing her hair. When she got out, she couldn't decide what to wear. She was just going back down to Eric so she decided on a pair of shorts and a comfortable button up flannel shirt. She thought about just wearing her underwear but she didn't want to appear too eager. Besides, she really wanted the chance to explore Eric's body before he did the same to hers.

Sookie made her way down to the cubby and stood at the end of Eric's bed, her eyes roaming over his body. His eyes were closed again and she wasn't sure she should disturb him.

As if sensing her reluctance, Eric opened his eyes with a smile. "You came back."

"Yup, I'm here, " she said awkwardly, coming around to his side.

"Sookie, do not be nervous or embarrassed. I'm glad you are here. I'm glad you wanted to touch me. In fact... why don't you continue where you left off." He reached out, and taking her hand, placed it gently on his stomach, fingers skimming the sheets resting on the lower half of his body.

"Oh. Can you, um, you know," she gestured to his body under the sheets, "during the day?"

"Can I what?" He pretended to misunderstand so he could watch her nervous expression some more. He did enjoy when she was flustered.

About to further explain, she looked to his grinning face, and narrowed her eyes. "Very funny, vampire."

He laughed. She was too easy. "But really, Sookie, I have never tried. I am weakened when the sun is up. However, I am not opposed to an experiment."

"Well, lay back, Cowboy, and let me have my way with you," drawled Sookie, suddenly confident.

He grinned at her use of the pet name from his daydream and laid his head back on the pillow. "Do your worst," he challenged.

Sookie climbed onto the bed next to Eric and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Feeling tender towards him she kissed his chin, his nose, and both eyelids gently. She looked into his eyes and felt breathless at the passion they held. She trailed kisses from his lips to his strong neck and she had him purring underneath her. His hands reached out to her and she told him to stay still. As she continued to kiss and nibble his neck and then his shoulders and chest, she watched him grab the sheets in tight fists. When she softly licked one of his nipples, his hips bucked up as he took an unnecessary sharp breath in. She gently bit down and he swore and twisted his body as she continued her sweet torture. She did the same to the other nipple and he growled at her, his fangs dropping.

She trailed her lips to his stomach, getting ever close to the place where he wanted her to be. Until now, the sheet had remained in place on Eric's lower half but she grasped it and pulled it down to reveal his boxers and more glorious skin. Of course Eric Northman's boxers were black and skin tight and she could see the evidence of his excitement clearly through the thin fabric. Her fingers brushed lightly over the very obvious bulge and she heard him hiss in response. Apparently daytime sex was a very real possibility for this vampire. She kissed down his perfectly sculpted abs to his hips and the enticing V there. She ran her tongue across his belly, right at the waistband of his boxers.

"Fan! Snälla, Sookie," Eric whispered in Swedish.

"What?"

"_Please_."

She winked as she sat up on her knees. She grabbed his erection through the thin fabric and squeezed firmly. Eric nearly jumped off the bed. Sookie wasn't sure where her boldness was coming from but she was enjoying the power she had over him right now.

"Sookie," he growled.

Sookie just smiled as she tugged the waistband of his boxers over his cock and then down his hips. Her eyes widened and she gasped.

"Eric!" she said breathlessly. She looked to his face and the cocky smile on his lips.

She knew he was tall and his hands were giant but she was still surprised by what she had just uncovered. He was huge! The tip glistened and she couldn't help herself, she had to taste him. She leaned down and licked, hot tongue gliding on cool silk over steel rod. Her eyes locked onto his face. His mouth was open slightly, brow furrowed, and she watched as his eyes fluttered closed in ecstasy.

"Eric," she whispered sweetly, "Watch me, baby."

He obeyed and opened his eyes. For his lack of body heat, his eyes held such fire. His look was pure lust. Sookie knew that he was holding on by a very thin thread. He was used to being in control, to being the aggressor, the dominant one. She knew that he was holding back his animal. His hands fisted at his sides as she continued to lick slowly along his shaft, and she wondered how long his control would last.

He hungered to touch her, to worship her beautiful body. He wanted to bury himself inside her and never let her up. It took every ounce of control that he had learned in a millennium as a vampire not to rip her clothes off and flip her underneath him. His strong desire to take her was only overcome by his even stronger desire to please her. When her hot mouth came into contact with his swollen head and Sookie told him to watch, he was almost undone. This girl who had been alive for only a quarter century had bested him. He was hers to command. Eric would obey her every wish and she knew it.

"You really are beautiful, Eric," she breathed.

He started to sit up but she admonished, "Ah ah, Cowboy. Lay down. I'm not done with you yet."

He growled and flopped back and then hissed when she bent down and quickly brought him into her mouth. Her tongue swirled around his head and he tried to bring his hand to her hair but with one glare from her, he quickly dropped his arm.

Sookie continued lavishing attention on Eric's cock. She switched between licking and sucking, while she stroked what wasn't in her mouth. She reached down to cup and tug his sac, and even further down to press the spot she knew could drive a man crazy.

"Damn, Sookie!"

"Hmm?" she hummed around his cock. The way his hips had started rocking, she knew he was enjoying her fingers along with her mouth.

"Oh, fuck!" he growled. "Do that again!" The vibration shot through him and he knew he would not last much longer. The tight coil in his belly, like hot steel, could no longer be tempered.

"Mmmm," Sookie continued. She sped up her hand and her mouth, sucking harder as she watched his face contort with intense pleasure. His eyes closed tightly.

"Sookie," he warned gruffly. She sensed his impending fall so she reached up to his chest with one hand and roughly raked her nails down his torso. Eric tumbled past the edge and groaned as he was overcome with bliss. His every muscle clenched and he threw his arms out to the side, grabbing the edges of the bed, as a wave of euphoria washed over him. He lay there, sated, eyes still closed, afraid that when he opened them, he'd find this all a dream.

Sookie crawled up his body until she reached his face and firmly, possessively, planted her lips on top of his. His eyes finally opened then, and he looked at her in wonder and with warmth.

He reached for her and she let him hold her. He stroked her face and her hair as she rested, hot cheek on his cool chest. "Jag älskar dig," he whispered very softly into her hair. "Thank you."

She sat up to smile at him and ask him to translate but she noticed the blood coming from his ears. "Oh, Eric, you need to rest! You're bleeding. I should have let you rest!"

"No, Sookie. That was incredible!"

"Well, you still have a few hours until sunset so I'm gonna go and you need to relax."

"Sookie, I would very much like if you would accompany me to my house this evening. Perhaps you could use this time to prepare for that if you so wish."

"Really? I would love to see your house!"

"Very well, then," he smiled. She started up the ladder but Eric's voice stopped her. "Oh, and, Sookie? Pack a lot. I might not let you leave for a while."

His eyes were serious but his mouth was playful. Sookie was unsure whether to be scared or giddy at his words.

After she left the cubby, Sookie busied herself getting ready to go to Eric's house. She wondered what it would look like. Whatever it was like, it had to be better than Bill's house had been.

Sookie packed some clothes and her toiletries. She added a roll of toilet paper to her bag because she just wasn't sure if Eric's house was well equipped for humans. Thinking of that, she wondered if there would be any food there. Maybe they'd have to go grocery shopping. The thought of Eric inside a supermarket made Sookie giggle to herself. That would be a sight.

Speaking of sights, Sookie nearly screeched at the one before her a few hours later when Eric came sauntering out of the cubby completely nude.

He was like a fallen angel, beautiful but wicked, and he took her breath away as he strode towards her. Wordlessly, he captured her, his arms snaking around her body. One came to rest on her lower back, the other in her hair, tugging her head back gently. She breathed in sharply as his face dipped down to hers. She readied herself for his kiss but he kept still, his mouth hovering over hers, his eyes proclaiming what his lips were not. He remained there, his gaze intent on hers. She felt her belly coil in anticipation, as she waited for him to move. Then suddenly he did. His kiss was all at once soft and urgent, explosive and subdued.

When he broke away and let her go, he stumbled back a step. "What you do to me!" he gasped.

They stood staring at each other a moment longer until Sookie looked down and remembered his nakedness. He wasn't even aroused but still, he was impressive. Her cheeks heated at the thought.

He thrust his hips toward her playfully, causing his skin to slap against itself audibly. He smiled roguishly. Incorrigible Eric was back and she thought she could handle him better right now, then the intense vampire that emerged from the cubby.

She laughed and so did he. She enjoyed his mirth. This was a side he didn't often show. Just genuine happiness.

"You seem happy."

His face went serious for a fraction of a second. "I am," he breathed, before he broke into a huge grin.

"Well, it suits you," she beamed at him. "So, uh, you wanna get dressed?" Sookie had folded his discarded clothes and placed them on her dresser upstairs.

"I would like to shower if that is okay. You may join me if you want." His eyebrows rose in invitation.

"Of course it's okay. But I already took one so..."

"Sure," he said but Sookie could feel his disappointment.

He started up the stairs, his muscles flexing as he climbed. From her vantage point below him, Sookie had a quite excellent view of his magnificent backside and began to rethink her dismissal of his request.

She followed him up and showed him to the shower, placing his clothes and a towel in the bathroom with him.

He nodded his thanks as he stepped into the warm water. She quietly closed the door as she left.

Being in Sookie's shower was like a strange glimpse into Sookie herself. He found her body wash and smelled it. He liked it but it wasn't half of what he always smelled on Sookie's skin. No, she smelled sweet like fruit, but also like honey; clean like soap but also like the rain that cleanses the earth. She smelled, she _was_, like sunshine. Bright, warm, inviting, but elusive. Sometimes hard to catch. If you wanted to be intimately acquainted with her warmth, you could not just stand still. You had to understand where she wanted to go and move with her. When you were lucky enough to earn a smile, or more, you stood in the warm rays of light but all too soon you might find yourself in the cold shadows. You had to keep up. Eric had been chasing the light since he first met Sookie, but now he finally felt like she would allow him to remain in her bright golden rays.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice Sookie slip into the shower behind him. As he felt her arms encircle his waist, his chest rumbled his approval at her presence. He turned around to face her.

"Sookie," he growled as his eyes took in her naked body for the first time. "You are more beautiful than I had imagined."

She blushed at his words and he spun her so that her body was under the warm water. They kissed, tongues dueling in each other's mouths. Eric was warm from the water and his face was flushed, making him look more alive than she'd ever seen him. His head dipped lower and he licked her neck, up from her shoulder to just below her ear. She shivered despite the warm air. His mouth trailed lower and he licked her nipple before bringing it into his mouth and sucking hard. His mouth was still cool and her nipple pebbled under his tongue. He paid the same attention to her other breast before kneeling and placing soft kisses on her stomach and then thighs. Sookie was panting and small sobs escaped her mouth with each new sensation on her skin.

Eric placed his hand under one knee and gently lifted it to place her foot onto the edge of the tub before lightly running that hand up the back of her thigh. He brushed his fingers against the juncture of her thigh and sex. Sookie let out a shaky breath. He looked up to her face, silently asking permission to continue. Sookie reached down and placed her fingers in his hair, pushing his face slightly toward her.

Her action spurred Eric on. Leaving one hand under her bent thigh to steady her, he leaned forward and slowly licked. With flattened tongue he licked her from opening to clit. He knew he drove Sookie crazy with his slow torturous movements but he didn't speed up. The contrast of the warm water cascading down her body and his cool tongue on her overheated core threatened to bring Sookie to ecstasy's edge. Her hips rocked against his mouth and he knew she would not last much longer. Just as he felt her beginning to climax, he pushed two fingers into her and curled them along her inner wall. Sookie screamed at the sensation and immediately fell over the cliff that he had so expertly brought her to.

Before she could stop shaking and panting, Eric was there, his lips crashing into hers, his arms holding up her trembling body.

"You are beautiful, lover. And you taste like honey," he murmured against her lips.

She reached down blindly between them to take hold of his erection. She stroked him once, twice, before he stepped back with a look of regret.

"Sookie, as much as I would like to let you continue. And believe me, I would... We do need to be going to my house if we want enough time for what I have planned for us."

There was that giddy fearful feeling again as Sookie thought about what he might have in store.

They stepped out of the shower and dried off. Eric dressed in his clothes from the night before sans underwear since that was somewhere on the cubby floor. Sookie dressed in jeans and her same flannel shirt because she wanted to be warm enough if Eric flew them to his house.

"Eric, how are you going to fly with my bag?" she suddenly thought to ask.

"I am not. I had both of our cars delivered here this morning. I will drive my car tonight and you may drive yours if you wish but I hope that you will allow me to bring you."

"Um, sure. I'll drive with you."

His smile was one of genuine glee at her words. Sookie was really enjoying happy Eric. Happy Eric was delightful.

Sookie grabbed her bag and they made their way downstairs before Eric halted her beside the kitchen table. He raced outside and back.

"Sookie, before we leave, I have something for you. I had it brought over with the cars. I know I should have given this to you right when you returned, but, well, here." He produced a stack of papers and placed them on the table.

"Eric, is this the deed to my house? Oh, thank you!" She kissed him quickly but he caught her and brought her back for another, much slower kiss.

When they broke apart, he explained, "I am giving this back as a gift, Sookie. I do not want anything in return."

"What about any money Jason has left from the sale? I'm gonna make him give that back to you and I won't take no for an answer."

"Fine. I will accept that. Here, sign."

As soon as Sookie had signed her name, she had a wicked idea. "Since I got what I wanted, Eric, I rescind your invitation to my home."

Eric momentarily panicked until he heard Sookie giggling like a maniac. "Eric, I was just playing with you!" she claimed between giggles as he was pushed out her door. As soon as he was out the door, Sookie recanted.

"Eric Northman, please come in!"

His expression turned predatory, and she might have been terrified except for that small glint of playfulness in his eyes. Sookie squealed and took off up the stairs. Eric waited until she was almost at the top before vamping past her and appearing in front of her on the landing. She ran right into him and he instantly trapped her in his arms. She shrieked and fought for a moment, her survival instincts kicking in, before she calmed herself.

"Oh, you play dirty, do you?" he teased. "I might just have to show you how I play dirty later."

It was a promise, and Sookie couldn't wait to see.

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**A/N: I hope you enjoyed that basket of citrus. I think Eric's property is rife with lemon trees and that's where they're headed. Until next time...**

**Thank you to everyone who is reviewing, favoriting, and following. I love it!**

**In case you didn't know: 'jag älskar dig' means I love you and 'fan, snälla' means fuck, please.**


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter delivers the much anticipated coupling of Sookie and Eric. But before that, we get a nice view into the character of Eric Northman as revealed by his home. I have always believed that he is a well rounded, thoughtful individual but in business mode he acts very different. His home is very much his sanctuary and he happily shares it with Sookie in this chapter.**

**I keep forgetting to say that the poem that I got the title of this fic from is in my profile if you want to read it. I will also post some links and a couple songs that inspired my story to my profile.**

**Thanks guys!**

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The drive to Eric's house would have taken a normal person about forty-five minutes. Eric was not, so it took them twenty-three minutes to get there. That was twenty-three minutes of terror according to Sookie. Twenty-three minutes with which to become intimately acquainted with the door handle and dash. Twenty-three minutes in which Eric alternately attempted to soothe Sookie with gentle touches and laugh at her fear.

"I am a vampire, Sookie. I will not crash. You are safe. Open your eyes."

He hit a curve and Sookie squeaked when she was pushed hard into her door.

"No! And stop laughing at me. That's really not helping!"

When Eric continued laughing, she added, "I'm gonna get you for this!"

He knew she was trying to be serious and he could smell her fear but since she was not in any real danger he decided that riled up Sookie was entertaining and maintained his high speed. Besides, he did owe her for the little stunt she pulled just before they left her house.

"You know what they say about payback!" he laughed. She blindly slapped at his shoulder and he just laughed harder.

Sookie was pissed off but trying to calm down. Rationally she knew Eric wouldn't let her get hurt but she just couldn't make her body agree with her head's assessment of the situation. She had her eyes squeezed shut because watching the scenery whiz by so fast was making her dizzy. Her hands were clutching whatever part of the car she could reach. Anything that didn't move.

Finally, they started to slow down. When they stopped, Eric softly said, "open your eyes, Sookie. We are here."

Sookie took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes as the tension left her body. They were on the street in front of a beautiful house near a lake. The property was large and the neighbors were far away. The house was no mansion but it was splendid and well manicured. It was beautiful in its simplicity and clean lines and it had surprisingly oversized windows for a vampire's house. Tall cypress trees surrounded them.

"Eric, I love it! It's beautiful!" Sookie beamed at him and he smiled back proudly.

He pushed a button to open his garage and pulled the car inside.

"Come. I'll give you the tour," he said when he opened Sookie's door and took her hand to help her out of the car.

Eric pulled her by the hand as they entered his house. He chatted excitedly about his property and the area. When she stopped in front of the floor to ceiling windows overlooking the deck and with a view of the lake, he came up behind her and dropped his head to nuzzle her neck. "Cross Lake," he murmured into her hair.

She looked out at the lake and the huge deck and noticed a handful of some type of small potted tree sitting around the edges of the deck. The trees were peculiar, with white tipped green leaves and small round striped fruit.

"Eric, what are those trees? They look like tiny melons but I know those don't grow on trees."

"Those?" he said, lifting his head and gesturing to the trees. "Variegated pink lemons. They are rare. Striking, are they not? The smell when they are ripe, is exquisite."

She nodded. "You are just full of surprises Eric Northman! Like these big windows when you are not up to enjoy the sun shining through them."

"Oh, but the moonlight, Sookie." He came around from behind her and stood very close to the window, gazing out. "Look how it reflects off the water. Look at the stars and how they twinkle in the darkness. It gets so dark here sometimes, and the stars are so bright it's as if I am in space. I can float to the middle of the lake and see stars both above and reflected below. It is extraordinary."

As Eric spoke, his voice took on such a peaceful quality it was like he was in a trance. Sookie smiled at him, bemused by this new glimpse into his character. He was nothing like he first presented himself.

He turned around to look at her. "It is not a good night for it, but one night I will take you out there with me and we can float above the water together. You will see."

"I'd like that, Eric. Very much." It made her heart so happy that he was making future plans for them.

"Good," he grinned boyishly. He held out his hand for hers and brought her to another room. "This," he said, sweeping his arm to indicate the room they had gone into, "is my library and it also holds my art collection." He was proud of this room. It showed in his voice and on his face.

He'd had a thousand years to be a collector and it seemed he had done exceedingly well in that time. He had an eye for beauty, but more than beauty, he had an eye for the remarkable. His collection of art contained some of the most bizarre pieces Sookie had ever seen. It looked like they came from all over the world. In every piece, though, was some quality of unique radiance. Every single piece was breathtaking.

Eric watched as Sookie looked over his art collection and told her, "I would place you on a shelf in this room if I could. Nothing I could display here would ever rival you."

Sookie blushed at hearing such high praise from Eric. He stood in front of her and cupped her face in his hands. He stared deeply into her eyes and bent his head to kiss her lips. After a sweet, chaste kiss, Eric laid his cheek against hers and stroked her hair. It was such a simple thing, such an easy moment between the two, but it stood out to Sookie. It wasn't about sex or lust. It was about tenderness, and it made Sookie feel loved.

Eric stood upright and continued to talk to Sookie about the many books lining his shelves. Some were very old and no doubt extremely rare and expensive. "Please feel free to take down any book you wish to see. They are meant to be read and enjoyed."

Sookie smiled shyly at him, thinking of how much he must trust her to let her handle these precious objects. "Thank you," she simply said.

They left the library to explore the main area of the house. The floor plan was open and Sookie could see that Eric had a well stocked kitchen, which surprised her. "You actually have stuff in your kitchen!"

He chuckled, "only since this morning. I had it outfitted just for you. Are you hungry? There should be plenty of food in the refrigerator."

"I am hungry, now that I think about it."

Eric's phone rang at that moment. Looking at it, he said, "it is Pam. Eat. I will be back." He walked into his library as he began speaking.

"Pam."

"Eric. Where are you? Are you not coming in tonight?"

"I am at home. Sookie is here."

"Ah, good for you. Finally," she quipped.

"Yes."

"Well, don't screw it up. I can't take anymore of your pissy attitude."

"I will not, Pamela. Is there anything else?" He was irritated by her tone and anxious to get back to Sookie.

"No... Give her a kiss from me. Or better yet a bite," she chuckled darkly.

"Pam. Goodnight." He hung up while she was still laughing.

Sookie was making herself a sandwich as she waited for Eric to speak with Pam. He came out as she walked to the table with it.

"Good," he said. "You found something you like." He took the seat across from her.

"Yes, thank you. If you have to go to work, it's okay," she started to say.

"No, Pam can handle things. I am not leaving."

She smiled, relieved. "Good, because I didn't want you to."

She finished her sandwich quickly, eager to continue their evening. Placing the dishes in the sink, she walked back out to the living room with Eric close behind.

She spotted something surprising in the far corner and went to investigate.

She stopped in front of a splendid acoustic guitar on a stand. It was behind another stand that contained music paper with what looked like part of a song written down.

"Eric!" she gasped. "Do you play? You play the guitar and you write music?" She was utterly shocked. It seemed Eric Northman had depths that even Sookie could not fathom.

She looked towards him and he looked... shy. Almost embarrassed. He ran a hand through his hair and smiled a little. "I do," he said quietly. The guitar was something he did for himself. It wasn't a means to entertain anybody and the only person who had ever heard him play was Godric. He had never even played in front of Pam. A flicker of pain crossed his features and immediately Sookie was at his side.

"What is it? You don't have to play for me, Eric. It's okay." He was hurting for some reason and Sookie just wanted to soothe him. She wrapped him in her arms and pulled his head down to her shoulder. She stroked his hair and he wound his arms around her waist. They held each other and Sookie swayed lightly, rocking him. His body heaved with a great sigh and Sookie held him tighter.

"What is it, Eric? What happened?" she whispered. He lifted his head and looked at her then, and Sookie's heart squeezed and threatened to stop. Eric's face was covered in bloody tears and he just looked so desolate. In mirror to his despair, Sookie's eyes welled with tears.

"Oh, Eric. Tell me!" she begged. And then softly, "please?" She tugged his hand to the couch and when he sat, she straddled his lap on her knees and pulled his head to her chest. There was nothing at all sexual about their positions. This was about comfort and nothing more. She continued to stroke and kiss his hair while she waited for his tears to stop so he could talk to her. As he wept, she whispered to him soothingly. Finally, after several long minutes in which Sookie tried desperately not to cry right along with him, Eric sat upright to face her.

"I am sorry," he whispered when he saw the upset on Sookie's face.

"No." She stroked his cheek with her thumb, wiping away some tears. "No, don't be sorry. Sometimes we all need a good cry. Do you want to tell me about it?" Her voice was soft and her eyes sincere.

"The guitar," he started, he was barely audible. "I used to play for Godric. Ever since... I just can't bring myself to pick it up. I haven't played since then."

The pain on his face, in his eyes, when he talked about Godric, was enough to make Sookie feel like her heart was breaking inside her chest. It shattered to pieces when fresh tears fell down his cheeks.

"Eric." His name from her lips was a caress for his battered soul. He closed his eyes as her warm breath fanned his face. "Eric, I love you." She had been contemplating her feelings for days. But she realized as she literally ached because of his pain, that she did indeed love him. Eric opened his eyes at her declaration. All the love that Sookie held in her heart was mirrored in his eyes. The tears she had been holding back came spilling out of her.

The love in his eyes quickly turned to panic as she cried. Eric looked stricken. He didn't know why she was crying. She loved him! His crying stopped and he had felt like laughing, or maybe decapitating an enemy, or something equally as fun. But now he was frozen at the sight of her tears.

Sookie laughed lightly at his startled expression. He really didn't know what to do with a crying woman.

"It's okay, Eric. I'm just happy. It's fine, really! See?" She wiped her face and smiled. "Hold on."

Sookie got up from his lap and went into the bathroom that he showed her earlier. She wet a small towel with warm water and came back out to Eric.

Eric reached for the towel but she held it back saying, "let me do this for you, Eric. Let me take care of you right now."

He nodded and she began to gently clean his face of his tears. He closed his eyes again and reveled in the feeling of being loved by Sookie. This was nothing like how she loved him with her mouth earlier, this was even better. This was more. As she softly wiped bloody tears from his cheeks and neck, she whispered to him.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry that he left you. I know it won't take away the hurt, but he was happy at the end. He wasn't scared. He wanted to go to Heaven."

"I still do not understand but I am glad he had you with him at the end. Thank you for staying with him when I could not." His voice started to break but he managed to keep his tears at bay.

"You're welcome. I was glad to do that for you both. I know I can't replace him. No one can. But I want to be here for you, Eric. I love you. Let me love you."

"Sookie," he said softly, pressing his forehead to hers. His voice was full of emotion. "I love you, Sookie."

He had said it to her sleeping form, he had said it when he knew she would not understand, but as he said it to her now it was as if the whole world was made new with his words. He was made new. And in his newness he belonged only to her.

"I am yours, Sookie," he said as his lips ghosted over hers. "I am yours in body and in mind. You own my heart and soul. Command me as a maker does a child; I will fulfill your every wish."

Feeling a surge of emotion that threatened to bring fresh tears, Sookie brought Eric's face closer to hers to capture his lips with her own. She had shared many kisses with Eric before this one. Each and every time they kissed, it was electric. But this kiss that they shared right then was a lightning storm in comparison. They each poured every bit of their love into the kiss and it was as if small explosions we're going off all around them. They broke apart gasping, both of them.

"I am yours, Eric. Make me yours."

It was an invitation to her body and Eric did not need to be asked twice. In a blink he was standing with Sookie in his arms. In another blink, they were in his bedroom and he laid Sookie down on the bed. He buzzed around for a second and Sookie realized he was lighting candles.

Sookie looked around the room in wonder. The bed was one of the biggest she had ever seen. It was a four poster canopy, dark wood contrasted with the white billowing curtains hanging all around. Eric had lit dozens of small white candles and placed them on every flat surface in the room. In the corner was a huge stone fireplace, blazing with heat. The room was awash in flickering golden light. From behind the sheer curtain, the effect was otherworldly, as if they were transported to another realm.

"Oh, Eric, it's beautiful!" she breathed.

"It is nothing compare to your beauty, lover." Eric leaned over and kissed Sookie until she was breathless and half dizzy. He reached out and unfastened her jeans and then began to unbutton her shirt. Sookie tried to pull at his shirt but he stopped her.

"Please, Sookie. Let me worship your body like you deserve. I have waited for so long. I cannot wait any longer."

His eyes were hungry and Sookie shivered at his words despite the warmth from the fire. She rested her arms on the bed. Eric finished unbuttoning her shirt and lifted her body slightly to take it and her bra off. He straddled her body on his knees and took her hands in his. He brought her arms up over her head, stretching his body across her torso. His face loomed above hers, his eyes searching.

"Lover, can you keep your hands here? Will you let me love your body? Will you yield to me?"

"Yes," she managed through her haze of lust. His words and the look in his eyes had her nearly dizzy again. She so desperately wanted to let him do whatever he wished to her body.

"Good," he smiled wolfishly. He let go of her hands and ran his own down her arms, his fingers lightly stroking, eliciting goosebumps on her overheated flesh. His hands continued down her body, ghosting over her breasts and stomach before coming to rest on the waistband of her pants. He peeled them down her legs slowly while crawling backward along her body. At each inch of flesh that was uncovered, his eyes became hungrier and hungrier. Sookie whimpered. It was a testament only to his many long years learning self control that he was able to keep his fangs in check. His erection was raging in his pants but this was not about him, he reminded himself. This was about Sookie.

Her pants fully off, Eric then began his trek back up her body. Instead of hands, he used his lips to caress her. He kissed the tops of both feet and her ankles all around. He took one leg and lifted it gently to place soft kisses all along her inner calf and behind her knee. He did the same to the other leg. Sookie was flushed and breathing hard by the time he reached for her panties and slowly pulled them down.

"Så vacker. So beautiful and so wet for me, Sookie." Eric didn't even have to touch, her arousal was evident in the air and on her glistening thighs.

Eric bypassed her thighs, though, and the heaven between them. He went for her breasts, placing soft kisses on each nipple before sucking them into his mouth one after the other. Sookie breathed his name, panting. As he suckled her breasts, his tongue swirled around their pebbled peaks. Her back arched, inviting his tongue's investigation.

Having fully explored every inch of her breasts with his lips and tongue, Eric finally moved down. Sookie was trembling with need.

"Do not worry, lover. I will give you what you need," Eric said, hovering over her.

He did. He moved his knee between hers, opening her legs. He kissed and licked her stomach until he got to her soft triangle of curls. He buried his face there and inhaled her sweet musk deeply. Sookie blushed furiously and without using her hands, tried to bump his face up with her hip.

"Why are you embarrassed, Sookie? You smell amazing...everywhere," his deep voice tried to ease her worry as he looked at her.

She only whimpered and wiggled her body so he would keep moving down.

Eric leaned in and softly kissed her inner thigh. It held a favorite vein of his but he would not drink from her now. He locked eyes with Sookie as he drew a finger through her silken folds and then brought it to his mouth. His chest rumbled his satisfaction. Sookie could read the want in his eyes and was sure she looked much the same. He moved suddenly to kneel by the foot of the bed and then reached for Sookie and pulled her until her knees were bent over his shoulders.

"You can move your hands now."

Those were the last words spoken for quite some time as Eric brought Sookie to the edge over and over again with his cool tongue and his long talented fingers. She gripped his hair in tight fists as she writhed and moaned and gasped underneath him. For her end, he moved his tongue at vampiric speed over her and she screamed and thrashed and came harder than she ever knew was possible. She lay there, boneless and breathless, as Eric lapped at her. It was too much and she had to push him away.

When Eric emerged from his nirvana between Sookie's thighs, his hair was a tousled mess and his face was slick with her arousal. He licked his lips salaciously and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He stared at her. Sookie sat up and started to reach for him to smooth his hair but he stopped her with a look. It was a look so predatory in nature that it stole her breath and made her scoot back on the bed. If ever Sookie thought that Eric wanted to devour her, it was then.

"Sookie." His voice was gravelly and strained. "You must give me a minute. I cannot be gentle right now. If I hurt you..."

"I trust you, Eric. You would never hurt me." She reached for him again but he stepped back.

"Please, Sookie." His eyes were more wild then they had ever been and his words were growls. His fangs were fully out and visible between his parted lips.

"Do you need blood to calm down? I want to feed you."

Eric couldn't believe it. He was scary right now- he knew he was. And here she was offering him her blood as if he couldn't just kill her where she sat. Her trust astounded him. He calmed enough to walk to her outstretched hand.

Sookie sat up on her knees and stroked his face with her fingers. "Let me feed you," she whispered. She brought his ear down to her lips. "Take off your clothes," she breathed.

In a flash, his shirt was on the floor and he stood before her again. She reached for his pants and unfastened them while kissing down his belly. They fell to the floor and his erection fell against Sookie's stomach, cool and heavy. Eric hissed at her but Sookie grabbed his face, unafraid. She brought her fingers to his fangs and traced them both lightly from top to bottom. For Eric, this was almost as good as her hands on his aching length and he groaned as his eyes rolled back under heavy lids.

Sookie swept her hair back from her neck and tilted her head in offering. He inhaled deeply as he bent his head down to her. He fisted his hand in her hair and pulled her head slightly more off center, fully baring her neck. His eyes fluttered closed as her warm scent filled his body.

Sookie sat breathless, waiting. Before she could even breathe again, Eric had laid them down in the middle of the bed. His hard length pressed against her hip as his body covered hers. She felt his lips on her skin and closed her eyes, her heart skipping in her chest. He slowly licked her pulse point and she sighed at the coolness of his tongue. Her heart stuttered as his fangs slid into her flesh a moment later.

He moaned and rocked his hips against her. He swallowed mouthful after mouthful of her sweet ambrosia. Just when Sookie started to worry about his self control, he groaned loudly and released her neck. She felt a cool splash across her stomach. Her galloping heartbeat slowed.

Eric flipped them so she was sitting astride him and wiped his large hand across her middle and then the sheet. She looked at him and he shrugged, grinning. Vampires were not embarrassed by any aspect of sex.

The blood and the release calmed him and Eric was eager to continue where they left off. His body was still ready. Sookie could feel him against her backside. She leaned down to kiss him, licking his bloody lips in a way that made Eric impossibly harder.

"Lover," he murmured into her mouth. "Tell me you are ready. I need you now."

"Yes, Eric. Please," she sighed against his lips.

Eric deftly flipped them so he was once again on top of Sookie. He rose up on his elbows and cupped her face in his hands. He pressed his lips to hers sweetly and then with increasing need.

Sookie bent her knees to settle Eric's large body more fully between her legs. His hard length rubbed along her satiny folds as she rolled her hips. She reached between them, and taking him in hand, guided him inside of her.

He pushed slowly but steadily until he was completely seated within her. The feeling was indescribable. His coolness made the heat of her center feel molten. He had been waiting for this moment for so long. He'd chased Sookie Stackhouse for so long, and this moment when she finally submitted to him, when he was inside both her heart and her body, was more magnificent than he could have imagined.

Sookie watched Eric's face as he thrust into her. She saw his look of concentration as he pushed in and then stilled inside her, his furrowed brow and slightly open mouth. She thought how beautiful he looked with his face lit from within by pure bliss.

Sookie realized as Eric stopped his movement that she had been holding her breath and she slowly let it out in a quiet moan. She had never felt more deliciously filled in her life. She was full of love and she was currently full of Eric. She couldn't say which was better at the moment.

There were no words exchanged throughout their entire coupling. There was no space for them. Nearly overwhelming sensation ruled the moment. They communicated through looks and gazes, by moans and breathless whimpers, with hands and lips and bodies.

Sookie dropped her arms to grab handfuls of Eric's muscular backside, jump starting his action. She could feel his muscles working, tightening and relaxing, as he thrust into her. He took her knee and brought her leg up over his hip, deepening their contact. She arched and moaned. He rolled his hips expertly, and he thrust in unhurried strokes through her heat. The end of each long stroke was punctuated with his low growl as he went as deep as he could. She felt herself breathing to the rhythm he set with his hips. This love making was wondrous, beautiful and sweet- but they both needed more.

As their eyes locked in silent communication, Eric wrapped an arm around Sookie's waist and lifted her as he turned them around. He sat up with her on his lap, their chests pressed together. Her legs were wrapped around his waist, heels pushing against his ass. With one strong arm, he dipped her back as he leaned away from her on his other arm. His stomach taught and rippling, he thrust up into her again.

His eyes never left hers and their smoldering gaze ignited a fire within. Gone were the slow deliberate movements and calculated thrusts. In their place was a frenzy of thrusting and grunting and touching. Eric braced his back on the headboard and his feet on the bed as he thrust into Sookie wildly. His hands were free and he made excellent use of them, alternately tweaking and pinching her nipples and running light fingers down her body. He gripped her hips as her rhythm faltered. She was flushed, blood rising to the surface across her entire body. Her heartbeat called out to Eric but he resisted.

He bent his head to suck a nipple into his mouth. Sookie brought one hand from behind her to grip his hair. She gently tugged it and Eric growled. She pushed her hips forcefully down onto him, close to her release. He brought his hand down between them to rub his thumb on her sensitive flesh. She gasped and cried out and they both moved even faster. The fire inside her suddenly exploded and he took control of their bodies as Sookie's orgasm crashed over her and she lost focus. He brought her body flush against his so that her nipples would rub on his chest as she bounced. She was consumed by flames of passion. Every muscle in her body tensed and every nerve ending burned. Eric followed soon after, triggered by her squeezing muscles and breathy moans. He seized and with a few last forceful thrusts, he came almost silently, his head thrown back in ecstasy.

As Sookie panted and waited for her heart rate to slow, Eric fell back onto the bed and brought her with him.

He kissed her sweetly on the forehead. Licking his lips, he whispered, "that was..."

"Yeah...," she panted because she knew he would not find a word to describe it.

They laid resting for a few minutes until Sookie had a thought. She raised her upper body to look into Eric's face. "I thought you were going to show me how you play dirty, Eric," she said with a playful raise of her eyebrows and a wicked smile.

"Why, Miss Stackhouse, are you propositioning me?" he asked with a glint in his eye. Wiggling his eyebrows comically he added, "if you wait just a moment, I will be ready again. Then you will see."

"Yes!" was all she could think of to say.

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	7. Chapter 7

**This chapter is basically all smut. A short interlude of the dirty sex that Sookie asked for and it does nothing to advance the plot except at the very end.**

**Okay, so dirty lemons are hard to write for such a new couple. I didn't want to get too dirty because I think it would be OOC at this point. So what I've written is a bit of a dominant Eric who doesn't want to push Sookie too far yet. I hope it's ok.**

**Disclaimer: these characters belong to others, I'm just satisfying some fantasies with them**.  
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Eric sat up and began stacking pillows in the middle of the bed.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Sookie was not very experienced in adventurous sex and she was suddenly nervous about what she said she wanted.

"You'll see," he said smugly but then when he noticed her nervousness, he added, "Sookie, I would never hurt you. You said you trusted me, so trust me now. I can bring you immeasurable pleasure. Will you let me?"

"Yes." She had been saying that a lot to Eric recently.

"Come here."

Sookie sat up and crawled over to Eric on the bed. He cupped her face, pressing his body to hers and bringing her mouth up to his. He slowly licked her lips with his soft tongue before capturing her bottom lip between his and sucking lightly. Sookie opened her mouth to him but he pulled away and let go of her. She looked up at him, wanting.

"Lay on your stomach over these pillows. Kneel but keep your knees apart."

"Eric?" She was embarrassed by how forward he was being. She looked to his face but he just arched his eyebrow at her, waiting.

She did what he asked and laid down on the pillows.

Eric's chest rumbled with a growl and he said in a low voice, "Fuck, that's beautiful."

Eric adjusted her body, pushing her up higher, opening her legs wider, placing her arms where he wanted them in front of her. Sookie was feeling extremely self conscious. He knew exactly what he wanted, how he wanted her. She was feeling every bit of her inexperience in contrast to his thousand years of prowess. She wanted to trust him though and she wanted to see what he could do to her body. She wanted to be excited instead of wary.

"Lover," Eric purred close to her ear. "What we did before was making love. But now, let me show you something else." He chuckled as he watched the blush creep up Sookie's skin.

He came up behind her, the front of his thighs flush against the back of hers. He ran his hands down her back, to her ass, reveling in the softness of her skin. The smell of their mixed fluids filled his nostrils as he inhaled deeply. He caressed the soft globes of muscle under his fingers and then he leaned his body back a little and smacked her ass lightly. She yelped and tried to turn around but he put one hand between her shoulder blades to keep her in place.

"Relax. This will be more fun if you relax. If you don't like something, you have simply to tell me. Otherwise, I will do what I like, yes?"

Oh god, she thought. "Yes." Again.

"Yes," he purred, stretching the word out so that it had multiple syllables.

He dipped his hand between her legs and gathered the wetness there. He was literally dripping out of her and she was soaked. He spread their fluids in his hand and stroked his cock, lubricating it. He growled at the sight of his length covered in their mixed arousal. Pushing his lower body up against hers again, he ran his cock over the seam of her ass. It slid smoothly over her skin.

"Fuck, you feel so good, lover," he purred.

Sookie could feel his sac lightly tapping against her as Eric moved over her ass. She started to breathe harder. She was worried that he might want to enter her there and it wasn't something she'd ever done. She didn't think he could even fit and the thought scared her.

"Eric, I... Uhh." She let out a shaky breath as Eric reached around to stroke her.

"Shh," he instructed. "Don't worry about that now." His fingers became more insistent and as they spread fire through her body, Sookie forgot what she was thinking about.

Eric removed his fingers from her and grasped his erection. Sookie whimpered at the loss of contact but then he brought his swollen cock to her entrance and slowly pushed in. He growled at the sensation.

"You are so fucking tight. So tight and so fucking wet. Fuck!"

"Do you have to have such a po-" she started to say but stopped abruptly when Eric's hips slammed into her ass.

"Sookie," he said. "You must stop thinking. Just. Feel." The last two words were grunted as he slammed into her twice more.

Eric bent his body over hers and Sookie shivered when she felt all that cool skin against her flushed body. He was in the same position as she was, just above her. With one hand he moved her hair off her neck and shoulder and pressed his face to the curve of her neck. He inhaled and ran his nose along her shoulder and back to her neck. His hips stopped moving as he slowly licked up the column of her neck to her ear.

"I love you, Sookie," he whispered, his lips brushing the shell of her ear.

A jolt shot through her body and her heart fluttered at his words. In response, Sookie squeezed her inner muscles and heard Eric's fangs drop. He growled, lifted his body, and grabbed her hips tightly.

"Fuck!" he growled out, elongating the word as he had done before.

Sookie was sure she had unleashed the beast but she wasn't sure if to be terrified or excited. She held her breath in anticipation of his next move.

Eric held onto Sookie's hips as he slammed into her again and again. Every time he felt her squeeze him, he moved faster. He reached around to hold her lower body with an arm across her hips and ran a hand up and down her back. He lifted her off the pillows to massage her breasts and squeeze her nipples, making her gasp and cry out. When she started to push her body back to meet his thrusts, he knew she was close to her release.

"Cum for me, lover," he told her. He laid her back down onto the soft pillows. He dipped his hand down to gather some of their fluids and slid his thumb along the seam of her ass to her rear entrance. He pushed slightly, rocking his thumb across the opening but not going in.

"Eric!" Sookie squeaked and tensed.

"Sookie," he grunted. "Are you mine? Tell me."

"I am yours."

"Then is this mine?" He pushed in and stopped and then reached around to cup her mound in his hand.

"Y-yes."

"And this? Is this mine?" He pressed his thumb firmly and caressed her ass with the other hand.

"Yes," she said with more confidence.

"Then I will have them! Let go, Sookie. I love you. Let go."

All the resistance Sookie had left her then and she felt her body relax at his words. She didn't want to let her inexperience and nerves ruin this moment. She trusted Eric completely and she did want to let go with him. So she did.

Eric was still waiting for her, his body unmoving. She wiggled her hips and squeezed his cock inside of her. He growled. He had moved his thumb away from Sookie because she seemed uncomfortable with it. Later, he thought.

Since their rhythm was interrupted, Eric decided to change things up. He pulled completely out of Sookie and moved off the bed. She looked over her shoulder at him. Standing there with his glistening erection, he reminded her of before at Fangtasia, only now it was her all over him and she could look all she wanted. Her heart rate and breath sped up at the thought.

"Sookie, get up and come sit on the edge of the bed." He could sense the increase in her heartbeat and grinned at her.

She smiled back at him and did as she was told.

"Lay back."

She did. She looked at him as he towered above her and marveled at his ability to completely command a situation. He was always just quietly confident. When control was evading him, he still managed to stay calm. Even during sex, he never yelled out his pleasure, the most he did was growl but that was deep and low. Sookie wondered what it would take to make him lose himself completely and cry out in ecstasy.

Eric grabbed her by the ankles, ending her musings, and brought her legs up to his chest, placing both ankles at his right shoulder. Bracing his right arm over her legs, he thrust into her again.

"Gods, you're so tight. You feel so good around my cock."

As he drove his hips forward over and over again, he watched her breasts bounce with every thrust. It was almost mesmerizing. He reached out his left hand to squeeze and tweak them. But he longed to taste them. In a quick move he brought Sookie's legs down and to the side so that her knees were bent around his hip on one side and her body was twisted slightly to keep her back on the bed. He grabbed her thighs with one arm and leaned down to lick her nipples. He licked and sucked until her breathy whimpers turned to moans, all the while pumping in and out, in and out. In the position she was in, she couldn't really move her hips and Eric could tell she wanted to. She was close.

"Do you want to cum Sookie?" At her silence he growled, "Tell me!"

"Yes. Oh god, yes!" She panted.

He brought one of her legs over to the other side of his body so that she was straddling his hips. He dropped his hand to their joining and rubbed her. Her hips began to buck wildly. Eric leaned down to her again and sucked a nipple into his mouth. Sookie could feel the slight scrape of his fangs and she pressed his face down harder with a hand on the back of his head.

"Bite! Bite me!" She gasped on an exhale.

Eric growled and sunk his fangs into her right above her nipple. The fangs and his tongue on her nipple pushed her over the edge and she shuddered and cried out. She circled her legs around Eric's waist, pushing and holding him deep inside. She wound her arms around his back and her fingernails pushed into his skin, clawing at him.

Sookie could feel Eric's body shuddering and hear him groaning around her nipple. She felt him pulse within her and his cool seed spill into her warmth. His mouth opened in a growl as he came and blood spilled down her breast. When he regained his composure, he quickly licked up every drop of blood, sending shivers down Sookie's back at the sensation.

Sookie started to scoot back when Eric stood up but he grabbed her ankle.

"Where do you think you're going? You think I am done?"

"Oh, uh, no?"

"No."

She looked down to see that, no, he was not done. He was still hard and very much not done.

"Vampires," she muttered under her breath.

"I think you'll find me exceptional, even among my kind," he said with a half smile. He grabbed the pillows and tossed them onto the floor. "Lay on your stomach in the middle of the bed."

Sookie laid down as instructed. She had closed her eyes so when he was silent for quite some time, Sookie opened them to look at him. He was just standing there at the side of the bed, stroking himself, his eyes sweeping over her naked form. She started to move, to cover herself, embarrassed by his steady probing gaze.

"Do. Not. Move," he said in a gravely voice, looking at her with an intensity that stopped everything but her heart. His face softened and he said, "You are incredible. Let me look at you."

After Eric looked his fill, he crawled over to Sookie and knelt between her legs. He began to run his hands up and down her entire body. He pulled his fingers through her hair, he massaged her shoulders and down her back. His chest rumbled as he purred his contentment. The way he was kneading her muscles had Sookie convinced that he had been a masseuse at some point in his long life. He pushed his thumbs into her lower back while the rest of his large hands grasped her hips.

Then he moved down. Sookie was sure the massage would end but he just kept moving his hands down. He pushed his fingers firmly into the muscles of her backside and as his thumbs dropped low between her legs, Sookie's breath hitched. She couldn't get enough of him. She was so ready to feel his fingers inside her but she was disappointed when he brought them to her thighs instead. It felt good, but Sookie was starting to rock her hips into the bed, needing something more. Eric noticed her impatience.

He smirked. "Eager, Sookie? Tell me what you need."

"You. I need you!"

"I'm here. What do you need of me?" He wanted to hear her say it.

"Eric..."

"Yes, lover?"

"Please, Eric!"

"Please what?" He could tell she was getting frustrated but he wanted to break her out of her shell and getting her to ask for what she wanted was the first step. Besides, she was really fun to annoy.

"Fuck me! Please!"

Eric growled through a smile and positioned himself to fulfill Sookie's wish. With one swift movement he pushed himself completely inside of her.

"Oh god! Yes!" She cried.

Eric dropped his body completely on top of her with one arm under her lower belly and one arm supporting his weight up by her shoulder. Sookie enjoyed feeling his entire body on hers. She pushed herself up to meet him as he moved inside her.

"Fuck, Sookie! I love to feel you under me. You're fucking perfect." His words were punctuated by his thrusts. Sookie had to admit that his dirty mouth turned her on.

"I think I love your filthy mouth, Eric," she gasped.

He roughly turned her face and crashed his lips into hers, his tongue diving into her mouth. She returned his kiss with enthusiasm and his hips moved even faster over her. He moved his arms up until he reached her hands and interlocked their fingers, pulling her arms up so she was stretched fully out. His thrusts never stopped. In this position he had even more leverage to thrust harder into her. She moaned every time his hips hit her ass. Eric knew she was close to her release.

He rolled them, still inside, until they were on their sides.

"Touch yourself," he demanded in a gruff voice, pulling her top leg over his. When she hesitated, he took her hand and placed her fingers on her clit. He kept his hand over hers and guided her fingers back and forth over her slippery skin. He moved his hand away saying, "Do not stop."

His pleasure vibrated through his chest as he watched her touching herself. He brought his hand to her breast and swirled his finger around her nipple, using the wetness from between her legs as a lubricant. He lifted her breast and turned her shoulder into him so that his mouth could reach her nipple. He sucked and licked until he could no longer taste her nectar on her tightened skin. He reached for her chin and turned her head so he could capture her lips with his own. The kiss he gave her was tender and full of feeling in great contrast with the uncontrolled way in which his hips moved into her.

Eric could feel Sookie's body tensing up. She was ready to explode and so was he. He brought his lips close to her ear and whispered, "Let go with me, lover. Come with me."

Both of their bodies tightened at the same time and as the wave of pleasure washed over them, both of them crested at the same time. As they reached their peak together, the world fell away and there was only her hot slick body and his cool hard one. There was only her lips on his mouth, her breasts in his large hands, her wetness around his hard length. They were barely aware of their breathy moans and guttural groans. The fall left their bodies quaking and their minds completely fuzzy. They lay in each other's arms for a long time, still connected, while the world came back and their minds cleared.

"Sookie, take a bath with me? I've gotten you all dirty...let me clean you now," he said with a smirk.

She was tired, worn out really. A bath sounded heavenly and she nodded to Eric.

"Excellent. I will be right back." He slipped out of her and walked to the bathroom to start the water.

Sookie was not too tired to watch him walking away. He was still naked and Sookie thought she would never get used to his glorious body. His broad shoulders, long torso and slim hips set atop his perfect ass and powerful thighs. When she found herself in the bathroom watching Eric bend over the tub, she realized that she had followed him without knowing, she was so drawn to him.

"God you are beautiful, Eric."

He turned around to look at her. "And you, lover, are delectable."

The blush that colored her cheeks just served to spur Eric's words.

"Especially now, after you've been thoroughly fucked. You are beautifully disheveled," he leered.

He picked her up and sat in the tub with her between his legs. Her back rested on his chest and she leaned her head back against his shoulder. Sookie was glad that she couldn't feel him hard against her. It seemed she had finally calmed the beast. She felt very relaxed in the warm water in such close contact with Eric. He kissed her temple softly and she sighed and closed her eyes.

"You will be very tired tomorrow. Feel free to lay with me until sunset. But if you would like to be up, please treat my house as your own."

His chest vibrated as he talked and Sookie found it soothing. "Thank you, Eric," she said sleepily.

She was almost asleep when she felt Eric's soapy hands on her arms. They were moving slowly down. They reached her own hands and then moved to her torso and made their way slowly up her stomach to her breasts. He didn't linger, he wasn't trying to start anything else. He just liked the way his hands felt on her body. Sookie was finally letting him touch her and he was going to make the most of it. He would kiss her, cuddle her, caress and please her whenever he could.

He continued to wash the rest of her body and she was limp and still when he was done. He looked at her thinking that she was being very quiet and realized she was asleep. He hadn't been paying attention to her breathing, instead focusing on not getting hard against her tired body. Sleepy or not, she was still alluring, and he always longed for her even if he did not always act on it.

He lifted Sookie from the tub and grabbing a towel, he walked over to the bed. He shook the large towel out and laid her on it on the bed. As he dried her body, he realized she had nothing to sleep in. He would, of course, prefer her naked but he wanted her to be comfortable. He finished drying her and then quickly retrieved her bag from the entry of his home where they left it. He rummaged through it until he found a shirt and some panties. He usually slept naked so he was not sure what he was looking for but that seemed to be good enough. He woke her gently to help him put on her clothes and then removed the towel to the bathroom and slid her under the covers with her head on a pillow. He was dry by then so he just blew out all the candles and turned off the lights so she could sleep.

"Goodnight, Sookie. I hope you dream of me," he whispered to her as he kissed her forehead.

He had some work to do so he went to his office for the few hours before sunrise. He worked happily thinking what a difference it made to have Sookie in his house with him. Maybe he would not let her leave!

He received a phone call from King Bill's people just before sunrise.

"Yes?" He said sharply into the phone. He could not stand that sniveling bitch of a king and hated when he had to be in his presence.

"The King needs a job done. You and your child, Pamela, need report to his headquarters at first dark tomorrow."

They hung up before he could even reply. "Fuck!" he muttered. He wondered what kind of a job that idiot king could have for him.

He walked back to his room and left a note for Sookie before climbing into bed with her. He pulled her onto her side and slid his body up to hers from behind. She reached back in her sleep and put her hand on his hip as his arm moved around her waist.

"Mmm," she said half-asleep. "Eric."

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**Please review. Let me know how you liked this chapter and if you have any other lemony suggestions. Thank you!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Here's the next chapter. This one was fun to write because I share Eric's disdain for King Bill. I hope you enjoy! Thank you to everyone reviewing and following and favoriting!**

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Sookie woke up snuggled against Eric. The first thing she noticed was she had clothes on. The second thing she noticed was that he did not.

Her hand was on his hip and she smoothed it down his muscular thigh before moving it off of him. She struggled to untangle herself from Eric's long arms because she needed to use the bathroom and she was starving.

She went to the bathroom and then found her bag and got her toiletries. She brushed her teeth. A shower would have to wait- she was too hungry right now. As she came out to Eric, she noticed a note on the bedside table. She smiled as she picked it up.

_My Sookie,_

_I hope that you slept well. I realize that I never told you how to enter and leave the light tight bedroom chamber. If you go to the door, you will see a panel on the wall next to it. Push the button and the door will open. You will then be in an anteroom. After the door closes, it will unlock another door that enters into the main house. If you would like to come back into the bedroom, you will need to enter code 73926 into the keypad on the wall by the anteroom and then again at the bedroom door. This will open the door as long as the previous door is closed. I will add your fingerprint to the system when I rise._

_Please make yourself at home. There is food for you- please eat. You will need your strength (You should imagine me grinning now)._

_I have received a summons from the King and as such, will need to leave at sunset to meet him with Pam. She will accompany us back to your house. Please be ready by sundown._

_As always,_

_Eric_

Sookie read the note and frowned at the end. She still couldn't believe that Bill was King. What a surprise that was when she came back. A year had seen a lot of changes to Bon Temps.

She did as instructed to leave the bedroom and went to the kitchen to eat. It was close to noon but she still felt like breakfast. Opening the fridge, she saw many things she liked and decided to make some eggs and ham with toast. Of course Eric had state of the art appliances even though he never used them. He had expensive cookware too.

As soon as Sookie finished eating and cleaning up, she went to take a shower. She entered the code on the wall panels and walked into the bedroom. As she walked past Eric, she couldn't help but stop and stare at him. When she got out of bed she must have pulled down the covers and Eric's body was revealed down to mid thigh. This of course left his impressive package on display and Sookie just had to stop and admire it. She would never get used to his gorgeous body and she enjoyed this opportunity to look at him unseen.

After her shower, Sookie decided to find a book to read in the library. As she surveyed all the many old books lining the shelves, she decided instead to just pick out the most interesting looking books and flip through them. She found books on philosophy, art, ancient architecture, and geography, medical journals, and many bibles and other religious texts. Those were just some of the books in English. More than half of the books in the library were in a foreign language and some of them were unrecognized to Sookie. The most interesting book she found, and the one she spent the most time with, was an English translation of the Kama Sutra from 1883. She blushed as she took it off the shelf but she soon realized that it contained only words and she set about reading it with interest. Of course she went right to part two- _On Sexual Union_, but who wouldn't? She was lost in that book for hours until she noticed it was almost sundown and went back into the bedroom to be with Eric.

As the sun set, Sookie climbed back into bed with Eric so he would be next to her when he woke up. She scooted her body back to his and waited. Soon she heard his rumbling chest and felt his growing excitement against her. He reached up to her face and turned her so he could kiss her. He moved his hips to rub his erection on her and she reached back to take hold of it.

"Don't start somethin' you can't finish Cowboy," Sookie drawled as she moved her hand up and down his length with firm strokes.

"Oh, I can finish anything I start."

He set about showing her how well he could do just that. They did not have much time to recover before Eric disentangled himself from Sookie and stood up.

"I must get ready to see the King and Pam will be here shortly. Get dressed. I will be quick."

As soon as he was in the shower, Pam came walking into the bedroom like she owned the place. Vampires may not be embarrassed by nudity but Sookie sure was. She shrieked and pulled up the covers to hide her breasts.

"No need to cover up on my account, Sunshine. It's not as if I haven't seen those before."

"You've...seen me naked?" Sookie was wracking her brain trying to think of when that could've happened.

"Not you, but I've seen plenty of breasts. Though I must say, yours are spectacular."

Sookie blushed and closed her eyes.

Pam took an exaggerated sniff of the air and gave Sookie a fangy smile. "It seems you two have enjoyed yourselves quite a bit in here. Too bad I was not here to join in on the fun."

Eric had returned from his shower and came walking out completely nude. "Pam, do not bother Sookie. She is more modest than you. Leave us so we can dress."

"Eric!" Sookie looked at him aghast. She couldn't believe he was just walking around naked. Vampires have no shame.

"Don't worry, Sookie. I am no longer impressed by the size of his-"

"Pam!" Eric said in a commanding voice. Pam left, but not before flashing Sookie another smile.

They dressed quickly and walked out to Pam who was flipping through channels on the tv.

"I was trying to find the Idol show. I just love when the judges berate the awful singers. Have you seen that show, Sookie? It's quite entertaining."

"Um, no, Pam. I'm not much for reality tv."

"Come, Sookie. Let me put your fingerprint into my security system so you can enter without a code," said Eric.

Sookie placed her thumb on the wall panel, Eric pushed some buttons and the system beeped.

"That's it?" Sookie asked in surprise.

"Yes. Now you may enter without the code. I have erased it from the system so only your fingerprint will work."

"Wow!" Sookie was impressed.

"Come, let us go," Eric said. "We mustn't keep the great King waiting."

They piled into Eric's car with Pam in the backseat, much to her annoyance. Sookie braced herself for another terrifying ride but this time it wasn't as scary. Maybe she was getting used to the fast driving.

They pulled up in front of her farm house to dropped her off. Eric got out to walk her inside. He gave her a long hug and rubbed his face in her hair.

"I am hopeful this will not take long. May I call on you when I am finished?"

"Sure, but I can't be out late tonight. I work the lunch shift at Merlotte's tomorrow."

"Maybe I can relax with you for a short while before I head to Fangtasia?"

"That would be nice..." She looked into his eyes then, so he could see how serious she was, "Behave yourself Eric. Please don't give Bill a reason to be anymore of an ass to you."

He could see how nervous she was, so instead of giving a flippant reply, he looked at her sincerely and nodded.

He gave her a slow deep kiss and walked to his car. The drive to Bill's took literally a minute.

They were greeted by guards and told to wait in the living room for Bill. They sat on one of the couches.

The sounds of sex coming from upstairs were unmistakeable. It seemed Bill was quite over Sookie.

"You smell like her," Pam observed quietly.

"Yes. I rubbed myself all over her," he grinned.

"Well, as long as you two don't get into a pissing match over her. I don't want to be stuck in the middle of that. Who knows what kind of shitty assignments he'll come up with if he's mad about losing Sookie."

"He seems to have moved on." Eric gestured to the brunette making her way downstairs.

"Yes, so it seems. Just don't bait him, Eric."

"Pam. Would I ever?" he smirked.

Suddenly Bill was in front of them. They stood.

"Your Majesty," Eric said with mock solemnity and a small bow.

Bill looked angry and took a step towards Eric.

"You have been with Sookie!" he accused with a glare.

"I have. She is mine!"

"She is yours? She has told you this?"

"Over and over," Eric smiled.

Bill growled. "You will do well to remember who you are talking to. I am your King!"

"I was simply answering your question, my Liege."

The two vampires stared at each other, slowly circling and softly growling.

Bill seemed to come to his senses first as he began talking about the assignment he had for his subjects.

"It seems a coven of witches has been meeting nearby. Until last night, I had no reason to believe they were a threat but that has changed. They are experimenting with necromancy. I do not have to tell you how dangerous that could be for us."

Pam and Eric were silent, inviting the King to go on.

"I need you two to go see them as they meet tomorrow night and strongly encourage them to cease their explorations and their meetings."

"How strongly are we to encourage them?" said Eric, hoping they would be authorized to use deadly force.

"Do not kill anyone. I do not need a media fiasco. The public will not outcry over witches being bothered but if they are being killed, the humans will be more sympathetic."

They continued to get more information about the witches and their whereabouts before taking their leave from King Bill and driving back to Sookie's house.

On the way there, Pam was muttering about the witches and her extreme dislike of both them and the King who sent her to find them.

When they stopped at the farmhouse, Eric told Pam to stay in the car while he said goodbye to Sookie.

"You're no fun," she pouted. "I could just come in and help you say goodbye." She grinned at him, knowing she was goading him.

"Pam! Stay."

Eric exited the car and knocked on Sookie's door. He walked in when she opened it for him. He swept her up in his embrace and kissed her passionately.

"I missed you," he said with feeling.

"It's been less than an hour you crazy Viking!" She couldn't help but smile.

"That was an hour too long, lover."

"Seriously. You're crazy. What did the great King want?"

Eric's lip curled as he thought of that imbecile. "He has an assignment for me and Pam. Some damn witches are causing trouble. Nothing we can't handle but I will need to do it tomorrow night. When are you finished working? Perhaps I will come and get you when you are done."

"I work lunch shift so I should be done by eight o'clock. Hold on. Did you say witches? There are witches? What the hell?"

"Yes, witches. They are humans with some sort of magic. Quite annoying, really. I do not think we will be done by eight so I will come here when we are, yes?"

"Sure," Sookie said absently. She was still trying to wrap her head around this new information.

Suddenly Pam was at the door knocking loudly.

"Pam, I said wait in the car!"

"Eric!" Sookie admonished, "Don't be so rude. Pam come in."

"I wish I was here for pleasure," she said, eyeing Sookie, "but Bill is crossing the cemetery on his way here. I thought you should know."

Eric immediately started growling as his fangs clicked down. Sookie put her hand on his arm.

"Please, Eric. Let me deal with him. I don't want you to get into trouble because of me."

"You are mine. He knows this. He should not be here."

"Ok but I'm not a bone to be fought over by dogs! Let me handle it. Please!"

"Are you calling me a dog?" he said with a glint in his eye.

Pam had been watching this exchange very carefully and let out a big laugh at this.

"Thanks, Pam. Real helpful. Eric, I'm serious."

Eric could tell she meant business so he reluctantly agreed to let Sookie speak with Bill by herself.

"I will be right here if you need me. Do not invite him in."

"I'm not stupid," she said as a knock sounded on her door.

Bill called out her name.

Sookie opened the door and stepped out onto the porch to talk to the last person on Earth she wanted to see. She couldn't hide her anger as she faced him.

He actually looked surprised at the fury in her face. "Sookie, I came to see if you are alright."

She lifted up her arms, palms up, as if to say _well here I am_.

"I'm fine. Not that I'm your concern in any way."

"Sookie, please. Do not be like that. I care about you."

"That's a load of crap and you know it! You are only here because you heard I'm with Eric now."

"So it's true?" He cut her off, looking angry.

"Bill Compton, you have no business at my house or in my life. Eric is mine and you'd better leave him and me alone from now on!"

"Eric is my Sheriff, Sookie! Remember that!"

"Are you threatening him, Bill? You'd better think long and hard about whether you really wanna do that! Eric is a thousand years old. He could squash you like a bug before you even see his boot! Remember _that_!"

With that, she turned around and stomped inside, slamming her door. As soon as she was in the house, Eric was on her. He pushed her against the wall of her living room at vampire speed. As he pressed his body into hers he kissed her roughly.

"Sookie, feel what you do to me," he growled as he pressed his erection into her. "You claiming me and threatening Bill was fucking sexy!" He kissed her again and then picked her up and started up the stairs.

"Eric!" Sookie squealed. "Put me down! What are you doing?"

"Claiming you," he said as if it was obvious.

"Pam's here!" Sookie was not about to have sex with a vampire audience.

"Pam. Leave," Eric ordered without hesitation. He stopped to look at Sookie.

Sookie was about to protest and deny Eric but Pam left faster than she could talk and she was already worked up from her altercation with Bill. She nodded to Eric who was waiting for her to agree.

When they got to the bedroom, Eric dumped her on the bed and was naked and on top of her in a blink. He pulled off her shirt and pants just as fast. He ripped off her panties and pulled down her bra to expose her fully. His mouth and hands were all over her. This would not be slow and sweet. This was not even a quickie like that morning. It was primal. Eric was an animal claiming its mate.

After making sure she was ready, he pushed into her as he held onto her around her neck and shoulders. His face was in her hair and he worked his hips at a frenzied pace. He grunted and growled as he thrust again and again. He lifted his head and stared into Sookie's eyes in silent petition for blood. She dropped her head to one side exposing her neck. As Eric bit, they both came- him groaning, her panting.

After extracting himself from her body, Eric was calm enough to realize he might have scared Sookie. The last thing he would ever want to do is hurt her but he was overcome by a primal need to mark her. He looked at her with apprehension, afraid of what her face would hold.

"Sookie," he said quietly, "are you okay? I did not mean to be so rough. Did I scare you?"

She smiled at him and if he was human he would have sighed in relief.

"No, silly. I would never be scared of you. You could never hurt me."

"I love you, Sookie. I do not know which gods I have favored but there must have been some because I am undeserving of you."

"Oh, Eric. I love you too, baby."

"Hmm, we will have to work on this pet name you have given me. I am a thousand years old, can you think of nothing better than baby?"

"No, _baby_," Sookie said pointedly. "C'mon, can't I call you that? You'll always be my baby." She said the last five words in between kisses to his lips and even though he knew she was just trying to placate him, he agreed with her.

"Fine. Baby it is," he said with a smile.

That earned him another kiss. This one much less sweet and with much more tongue. He started to get excited again but Sookie noticed and told him to get dressed.

"You would spin me up and then deny me, lover?" he said with mock hurt in his voice and on his face.

"Eric Northman, we have had more sex in two days than most people have in a month! And we just finished!"

"I cannot help that I always want you. And I'm sure you know, I am most certainly not most people."

"Well, I am. Well, was. Ok, I'm not but I'm still tired and sore."

His face instantly became concerned. "You are sore? I have hurt you."

"No, Eric. I'm fine. I am sore but I'll feel better soon."

"I could make you feel better now."

"Eric, I don't think what you have in mind would actually help. I'm fine, really."

"I do not think you know what I have in mind," he said in a husky voice. All of a sudden he was between Sookie's legs. He bit his tongue and licked her everywhere he could reach.

Sookie was shocked for a second but it felt too good to make him stop. It was helping her feel better too. He sat up all too soon and Sookie let out a frustrated sigh.

"I thought we were getting dressed, lover," he said, knowing full well that he was leaving her wanting.

Sookie grabbed his hand and placed his fingers where she needed them. "Finish what you started," she said as she palmed his erection and squeezed.

"Fuck! Yes, mistress." Sookie was being forward with what she wanted and Eric couldn't wait to give it to her.

After Eric left for Fangtasia, Sookie decided to go to bed. She needed the sleep after her last few days.

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Eric rose the next night and met Pam for their trip to see the witches.

"Eric?" said Pam, while they drove to the Moon Goddess Emporium where the witches met.

"Yes, Pam?"

"I'm glad you're happy."

He smiled at her and and ran his hand over her hair in a loving gesture.

"Because for a while there I wanted to finally kill you myself," she said with a wink and a grin.

"Thanks, Pam." He smiled because she was right. He was quite an ass when Sookie was missing and he was glad to be with her now.

After that they drove in silence. It was not a long trip and soon they were in front of the store.

They walked into the store and could hear the witches in the back so that's where they headed. Eric threw open the doors hoping to scare some of them. Pam was close on his heels. They stood side by side while ordering the witches to stop their meetings or suffer the consequences.

Suddenly one of the witches was in front of them chanting. Pam grabbed her by the neck and was about to throw her to the ground when she instead let her go and stumbled back with wide eyes. Eric had noticed the witch changing slightly as she channeled some sort of power but when he saw his child was in trouble he grabbed her and ran back to the car with her.

"What happened Pam? Are you hurt?"

Pam looked at him with wide eyes. "Who the fuck are you?" she said softly.

"What? Pam, it's me. Eric. Your maker!" He was on the verge of panicking and Eric Northman did not panic. "Tell me you know me!"

"I have no idea who you are," she all but whispered. It was not a good feeling to be so confused.

"Shit! SHIT!" he yelled. He started the car and tore out of the parking lot. He checked the time and drove as fast as the car would go to the shifter's bar. Sookie was still working. She was the only other person he trusted so he headed to see her.

They pulled up to Merlotte's and Eric told Pam to stay in the car while he went in to get Sookie. He walked in the door, immediately spotted Sookie, and vamped over to her.

Sookie was very surprised to see him since he told her he would meet her later. She took one look at his face and knew something was wrong. She led him to the hallway outside of Sam's office for some privacy.

"Eric, what's wrong?"

"Come outside with me, Sookie. I need your help. Can you leave work now?"

He was freaking out. Sookie had never seen him look so panicked. "I'll tell Sam it's an emergency. You're scaring me! What happened? Are you okay?"

"No. Well, I am fine. Please. Can you come outside with me?"

She quickly found Sam and told him there was some sort of emergency with Eric. Even though she knew he wanted to lecture her, he instead told her to go. She hugged him quickly and apologized and then ran back to Eric.

Eric led her quickly outside to the parking lot and looked at the empty car. The door was still open where Pam had gotten out.

"Shit!" he yelled again. "She's gone!"

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><strong>AN: Do you like this twist on AmnesiaEric? Now we get AmnesiaPam! Please let me know what you think in a review. Thank you!**

**Please allow me to plug my new story Northman's Nanny. I posted the first chapter a couple days ago. I'd love for you to read that one too!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm sorry for the delay in posting. Life has been busy and I wasn't sure how far I wanted to get with this chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading it. AmnesiaPam is fun to think about. She's kind of a brat. Thanks to everyone reading this story!**

**These characters and any words that you might recognize from True Blood, do not belong to me. They belong to their creators, I'm just borrowing them for a while.**

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"Who's gone? Eric, what's going on?" Sookie said nervously. If Eric was on the verge of panic, she knew something very bad must have happened.

"Pam! Pam's gone. I have to find her. She hasn't gone far."

"Pam? What happened to her?"

"The witches did something to her and she does not remember me!" There was real fear in his eyes.

"Ok, Eric. We'll find her. I'll help you. It will be okay. Calm down, okay?"

"Sookie, she is my progeny. I am responsible for keeping her safe. I have failed her!"

"Eric, we're going to find her. You haven't failed her. We'll think of something to help her. You have to calm down."

Eric instantly visibly relaxed but Sookie could tell that inside he was just as panicked as he had been mere seconds ago.

"No, Eric. Don't just act calm. Really, try to calm down. If you were human, I'd tell you to take a deep breath. Do you think that would help you?"

"I do not know!" he bellowed. He sighed dramatically and said, "Sorry, that was rude, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. You're upset. Hey, can you call her? Like a Maker's call? Bill did that to Jessica when he went missing."

"I could call her but if she resists, and she likely will, she will be in pain. She will not understand the pull and she will fight it. I do not want her in pain because of me. I will track her through the blood. Will you come with me?"

"Yes, I'll come."

They got quickly into Eric's car and drove through Bon Temps. The car suddenly stopped as they came to a small break in the trees surrounding the town and Eric got out.

"She is nearby. I will go on foot from here."

Sookie climbed out after Eric. "I'm coming with you," she said.

His face showed her his gratitude and Sookie was glad to be of comfort to him. This was one of the rare times when Eric seemed in less than full control of himself and Sookie wanted to help him.

They trudged through the woods and Sookie had to practically run to keep up with Eric's long strides. When he saw her struggling, he picked her up wordlessly and kept on walking.

Sookie wrapped her arms around him tightly, glad for the ride.

They saw Pam in a clearing by a pond. She was just standing there staring at the water. As they approached her, she turned around, ready to fight. Her fangs clicked down and she crouched.

"Pam! It's Eric. I am your maker. You are my progeny. I will not hurt you. This is Sookie, my...friend. She's your friend too."

"I don't know you," Pam yelled, still in a fighting stance.

"Pam, search the blood. You know me. You are blood of my blood. Can't you feel the connection? Your blood calls out for mine. Feel it." He reached his hand towards her.

Slowly, she relaxed her body and closed her eyes. Her body drifted over to Eric as if she was sleepwalking.

He smiled at her when she finally came to stand in front of him. She smiled at him but then her fangs clicked down as she suddenly looked at Sookie.

"Why do you smell so good?" she asked, almost moaning.

Sookie sighed loudly, "Part Fairy, pleased to meet you," she said in a sarcastic tone.

"Pam, you will control yourself around Sookie. Now put your fangs away before you piss me off."

Pam did as instructed and the glazed look in her eye slowly disappeared. She smiled brightly and grabbed Sookie's hand as they walked back through the woods to the car.

Sookie was surprised by Pam's display of affection but she knew Pam wasn't exactly herself then. "Don't worry, Pam," she said, "We're going to help you. How do you feel?"

"Like shit!"

"Well at least she sounds like herself!" she laughed as she looked towards Eric.

When they got back to Eric's car, it was Sookie that Pam wanted to sit next to as they drove to Eric's house.

"Where are we going?" asked Pam as they drove along.

"To my house. You will stay with me until we can figure out a way to help you. What do you remember? Anything?"

"I'm not staying at your house! I want to stay with her," she said, still clutching Sookie's hand.

He looked at Sookie, who looked just as surprised as he did.

"I'll stay with Eric too, Pam. Okay? Will you stay if I stay?" Sookie didn't mind staying with Eric. There were some very nice benefits to sleepovers at Eric's house.

"Yes, I'll stay there if you do," said Pam.

"Good. Eric can you stop by my house so I can get my things?"

"What about my things?" asked Pam.

"You have clothes at my house, Pam. You have a room there."

"Oh, good," she said. "Why doesn't she have clothes and a room there too?"

"So can you remember anything? Do you remember what happened?" Eric asked again, ignoring Pam's question.

"I just remember the eyes of that bitch and then all of a sudden, I was blank. I can't remember anything, dammit!"

"We'll figure this out. Should you tell the King?" Sookie asked.

"No!" said Eric firmly. "I do not trust him. He is the last vampire I would tell."

"You don't trust our King, Eric? Why not?" asked Pam.

"Because he's an asshole," interrupted Sookie. "We hate him."

Eric chuckled at the fire in her voice. "Yes, the King is an asshole. He sent us to the witches who did this to you. We will keep this to ourselves for now."

They got back to Eric's house and watched as Pam walked around looking at everything as if it was the first time. She walked first to the big living room window overlooking the deck just as Sookie had.

"This window is huge!" she gasped. "It must let in a lot of sun. What's with that?"

"Eric likes the moonlight," Sookie said while giving him a smile. "And the stars." Sookie enjoyed the feeling in his voice when he spoke of the night sky. It was surprising in a way but then again, she always knew that he was deep. It made her smile and she walked over to Eric and put her arms around him.

Eric bent his head to drop a kiss onto Sookie's forehead before looking at Pam.

"Does any of this seem familiar, Pam?" asked Eric.

"Nothing." Pam walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge, expecting to find blood. "Why is there so much food in here? I thought this was Eric's house. You really don't live here?"

"Uh, no," Sookie stammered.

"Why not? You smell like him. Aren't you mates?" Pam questioned.

"Um, sorta?"

"But you fuck each other."

"Pam! Sookie and I share an intimate relationship but we are not mates." Eric looked uncomfortable having to explain to Pam.

Sookie was blushing a dark crimson that spread to her chest. She let go of Eric and stepped back from his embrace.

"Oh, so if we are of the same blood, do I get to share Sookie too? I would like to. She smells divine."

"Pam, don't piss me off! I already told you not to drink from Sookie! This, I command you as your maker!" He was angry for the first time tonight. Sookie put her hand on his arm to calm him.

"You told me to control myself. I can control myself and not drain her."

"Pam! I commanded you not to drink from her and you will not! No matter how small the amount!"

"And I have to listen to you because you are my maker?"

"Yes, Pam. Whatever I command as your maker, you must obey. Your blood will not let you betray my wishes."

Pam pouted. "Well, that's no fun. Can I fuck her? I think I would like that. She stirs feelings in me."

"Mmm, she stirs feelings in me too. But no, she is mine, and I will not share."

"Uh, hello! Vampires? I'm in the room, you know! And Eric, _you_ are _mine_," she said emphasizing the reversal of his words.

"I will be yours too," Pam said with a leer.

"She doesn't remember a single thing but she still acts just like you," Sookie sighed.

Eric grinned. "Why do you think I chose to turn her?"

Pam resumed walking around, looking at everything in the house. She walked across the living room and picked up Eric's guitar. Sookie cringed, thinking that Eric was going to go ballistic but he surprised her by taking the guitar and setting it gently down while asking Pam if she would like to see the library. It was a classic disarm and distract technique used by parents of toddlers everywhere. It seemed out of place amongst vampires but Eric was not most vampires. He loved Pam and it showed. They shared a unique relationship.

Eric escorted Pam into the library and watched as she looked all around, picking up various objects. "Do you remember anything here?"

"No. Why do you have all this useless stuff?"

"It's beautiful," Sookie said. She looked at Eric, who looked uncertain of what to say. "It's art, Pam. It's purpose is to be beautiful. Just like Eric," she finished playfully. She nudged Eric with her elbow and grinned at him.

"Well, I agree that I'm beautiful but I definitely serve another purpose," he said with a leer and a wink.

"Yup, you're only good for one thing," she laughed.

"Yes. Really good. Unbelievably good!"

"Great, you two will be fucking all night. What am I supposed to do? Do I have a mate?" Pam whined.

"You are not really the mate type, Pam," said Sookie.

"You are more the feed and fuck type. But we did have a pet we shared- Yvetta, but that ended in unfortunate circumstances."

"Did I drain her?" Pam looked concerned, which was surprising.

"She betrayed us and fled. If we ever see her again, no doubt we will kill her."

"You would kill her?" asked Sookie, outraged. "You would seriously kill her?

"She silvered Pam and stole from us! What would you have us do?"

"Um, I don't know! But I didn't think you'd kill her! You seemed... fond of her," said Sookie remembering just how fond of her Eric had looked when she found them in the basement of Fangtasia.

"She silvered me? Of course I would kill her!" Pam said angrily. "It's too bad I don't remember her. How did she get away?"

"We were otherwise occupied trying to protect ourselves from a three-thousand year old vampire who wanted to kill me and drain Sookie."

"Sounds like tons of fun. You saved her life and she is not your mate?"

"No Pam, I was with another vampire then," Sookie said sadly.

"You were with another vampire and still he saved you?" She looked at Eric incredulously.

Eric kept his face carefully blank. "It's a long story, Pam. Sookie and I have better things to do right now than rehash the past."

Sookie looked at Eric, not liking the forced indifference on his face. She had never thought about how his concern for her in regards to Russell Edginton must have made him look. She knew he never wanted to be seen as weak, yet his attachment to her could be viewed as just that. He had saved her anyway. Sookie suddenly realized that his cold demeanor at Russell's mansion was both for show and because he must have been terrified- for both of them. And he risked himself to send Hadley to warn her. She had the urge to pull him down and kiss him all over.

She walked up to him and put both her hands on his cheeks, tilting his head to hers. She looked into his eyes and said, "Eric, baby, I love you so much." She could tell he was surprised by her sudden sentiment but when his happy surprise turned to fear, she realized that tears were streaming down her face.

He brushed away her tears and asked, "Why are you crying, Sookie? I don't understand these tears."

"I don't know Eric. Everything you've done for me. Everything you are...sometimes it's overwhelming."

"Everything I am?" said Eric, leading Sookie into the library for some privacy. They left Pam to wander around the house on her own. He sat down on a big chair and pulled Sookie into his lap. "What everything?" His voice seemed unsure of whether "everything" was a good or bad thing.

"You're a thousand years old, Eric. Yet you care for me enough to have put your life on the line more than once for me. My opinion of you was tainted by Bill for a long time. I was more gullible than I like to admit but when I think back on everything you have done for me, I realize that you are good. You are undeniably, inherently _good_, Eric. I knew it before but I guess I just thought of another thing that I didn't see clearly at first. Another thing that showed me who you really are."

"Explain," said Eric with knitted brows.

"I was just thinking about how you acted towards me at Russell's mansion..."

Eric winced, thinking of how he'd mistreated her and interrupted with, "I was anything but good to you then. I regret treating you in that way. I was not myself."

"No, Eric, listen. I couldn't understand why you seemed to turn on me like that but I was just thinking about how you must have been feeling then. In the house of the vampire who you hated? Trying your hardest not to let him kill anyone you cared about? You must have been so scared, and still you warned me through Hadley." She put her hand on his face again and caressed down his cheek until she took his chin and angled his face down to hers. She kissed him softly on his chin and then his lips. "You were so brave, Eric."

He looked at Sookie for a long time while silence stretched between them. His unwavering eyes held a mix of emotions. "I did not feel brave," he said finally. He was not used to letting anyone see his fear or uncertainty but he trusted Sookie and wanted to let her in.

"How did you feel?" she whispered, stroking his cheek.

"I felt," he said, taking an unnecessary breath to center himself, "Angry, uncertain...afraid." He cast his eyes downward.

"Look at me, Eric," she said gently. When he lifted his eyes to hers, she continued, "There is no shame in being scared. You acted with courage in the face of fear. That's being brave. You _are_ brave, Eric."

The look on his face was undefinable but it made Sookie's heart lurch in her chest. "Then we are both brave, my Sookie," he said before capturing her lips in a tender kiss.

They sat there, kissing softly, until Pam interrupted loudly from the living room.

"I'm so bored," she said, drawing out her words like a petulant teenager.

Sookie grinned at Eric's exaggerated sigh. "It's like having a child," she said with a laugh.

"Why don't you watch some tv, Pam?" said Eric, walking into the living room. "I'll show you how to use the remote."

"Yeah, you said you like reality tv. Let's see what we can find," said Sookie amusedly.

Eric and Sookie left Pam in the living room watching some kind of reality dating show that Pam found entertaining. Eric commanded her not to leave the house and he brought Sookie to his bedroom.

"Do you think she's gonna be okay alone?" Sookie asked.

"She will be fine. Now come here."

He reached for Sookie and backed her up until she stood next to the bed.

"I've been wanting to do this all night," said Eric as he leaned into her. He brushed his lips lightly against hers and then swiped his tongue across her top lip seeking entrance to her mouth. She parted her lips and met his tongue with her own.

"I love you, Sookie. I missed you all day," he whispered against her lips.

"You were dead all day, vampire! You didn't miss me," she laughed.

"Yes, but I miss you all the time I'm not next to you, day or night."

"Eric Northman, you are quite the romantic. You like to think you are so big and bad but you are a softie," she said with a laugh. More seriously she added, "And I love you."

"Lover," he purred as he pressed himself against her, "I think you'll find I _am_ big but I am anything but soft."

"Eric! Yes, you are definitely big."

"And?" he asked playfully.

"And hard," she said with a smirk.

"And you know I'm bad, Sookie. Or do you need me to show you again?"

Sookie kissed him in response and rubbed her body back and forth over his erection. He growled softly and grabbed her ass, pulling her into him. He pushed her back until she was laying down on the bed and crawled on top of her.

He buried his face in her neck and inhaled, groaning at her sweet scent. He kept on breathing her in as he kissed her softly behind her ear and down to the juncture of her neck and shoulder. As he was kissing, he reached down to take off her shirt, moving his face away while he lifted it over her head. When she laid back , Eric bent to put his face in the cleavage of her breasts and inhaled deeply again.

"Gods, you smell so good everywhere. I want to lick you all over. Do you want that?"

"Maybe not _all_ over but there are a few strategic places you could concentrate on," she said with a smile.

"Oh yes? Where?" he inquired, eyebrow cocked.

"Well, if I have to tell you I might have to doubt your thousand years of experience and your status as a Viking sex god," she grinned.

"I assure you, lover. When I am done with you, you will doubt nothing ever again."

Eric undressed Sookie at vampire speed and she shivered at suddenly feeling cool air on her entire body.

"I will build a fire for you," he said, noticing her shiver.

"Eric, you are the sweetest. You go from bad boy sex god to caring boyfriend in two seconds flat. You're going to build a fire for me?"

"Of course. You are cold. And I am no boy, Sookie. Shall I show you that again too?"

"Actually...can this be naked fire building? I do like to watch you from behind."

Eric was naked before Sookie could say another word and Sookie laughed loudly. "I was totally kidding Eric," she said as he sauntered over to the fireplace, shaking his ass for Sookie's benefit.

"I can put my clothes back on..."

"No! No, there's no point in that," she said blushing.

As Eric built a raging fire, Sookie walked over to him to watch closer. She couldn't help but reach out and grab two handfuls of her favorite part of Eric. He purred at her as he turned around.

"Sookie," he said in a low voice. He stepped into her so she would back towards the bed and as they walked, he pressed feather light kisses across her neck.

She reached down to stroke him firmly from base to tip, enjoying the moan she brought from his lips. "Lay down, Eric," she whispered into his mouth as he bent down to kiss her lips. "You seem to have a big problem you need my help with."

He looked at her briefly in surprise before giving her a lopsided smile. "Huge," he said as he scooted back onto the bed.

"Massive," she breathed as she crawled on top of him.

"Monstrous," he whispered as she leaned down between his legs.

"Let me take care of that for you," she purred just before she licked the entire length of his monster.

His hiss and the buck of his hips told her that he liked it but she asked anyway. "You like when I lick you like that, baby?" Now that she was turned on to dirty talk, she found that she enjoyed it quite a lot.

"I like," he rumbled. "Your tongue feels so good, lover."

She continued to lick him like a giant popsicle as she ran her hands lightly up and down his inner thighs and across his hips. He squirmed as she got to the dip in his stomach by his hip.

She sat up, smiling. "Are you ticklish?" she asked. It was something she wouldn't have thought possible for a thousand year old vampire.

He grinned at her. "No," he said feigning incredulity. "I'm not ticklish."

"Oh yeah," she said as she pounced on him intent to make him squirm some more.

He grabbed her and flipped her onto her back on the bed and attacked her sides and behind her knees to make her laugh.

"Hey!" She giggled. "That's not fair!" she squealed.

"Who said I play fair?" he laughed as he pinned her to the bed.

Eric and Sookie's attention was drawn from themselves a moment later when Pam came walking into the bedroom.

"You two are having way too much fun in here. It's not fair," she pouted.

"Well, Eric doesn't play fair," Sookie giggled before sobering up and diving under the covers. She pulled the covers over Eric too because of the way Pam was looking at his naked body.

"Pam, quit staring at him. Yesterday you told me that you didn't care about his body anymore."

"Well, now that I don't remember it, maybe I like it again. You have a beautiful body, Eric. So do you Sookie," she grinned.

"Pam, why are you in here?" said Eric, ignoring her assessment of him.

"Like I said. You are having fun without me. I'm lonely."

"Pam, I'm not sharing him with you!"

"Well, pooh," she pouted again. "How about we leave him out of it altogether? I'm sure just us girls could have much more fun."

"Eric won't share, remember? Plus, I don't really swing that way, Pam."

"Well, I'm sure I could _persuade_ you," she said, trying to catch Sookie's gaze.

"Pam, Sookie cannot be glamoured, and I hope you wouldn't try to glamour my human."

"Your _human_? Really Eric?" Sookie said, annoyed. "C'mon, Pam, I'll watch some tv with you. Let me get dressed. Wait for me outside, okay?"

Pam grinned at Sookie and stuck her tongue out at Eric as she left.

"Lover," Eric practically whined, frowning. "You're leaving?"

"Don't lover me and don't call me your human, either." His face fell even further and Sookie felt bad for him. "I didn't know vampires pouted," she said with a wink.

"I am not pouting," he said indignantly.

"Give me an hour with Pam and I'll come back to you. I'll make you feel all better."

"Do you promise?"

"Yes, you big baby!" Sookie laughed at the shocked look on his face. "Nobody usually insults you, do they Eric?" she said.

"Nobody insults me and gets away with it. Only you, Sookie. Since we first met. Only you."

"Aww, I'll make it up to you," she said against his mouth, before she sucked his bottom lip between hers. "I promise."

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I** hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review! Sorry for the lemon tease! I'll make it up to you next chapter. :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**Here's the next chapter of We Wear the Mask. Not much Pam in this chapter but I need to get some plot points moving so we can get her cured eventually. Thanks for reading! **

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Once Sookie went into the living room with Pam, Eric got dressed and went into his office to call Fangtasia and try to figure out what to do to help Pam. He was actually a little ashamed of himself that he let Sookie distract him from helping Pam. He did miss Sookie though. Anytime he was not near her, he felt uneasy, as if there was a part of him missing. An unexplained ache plagued him in her absence and it did not subside until she was in his arms again.

Eric sat at his desk and called Fangtasia. Ginger answered the phone.

"Welcome to Fangtasia, the bar with bite," Ginger said into the phone.

"Ginger, it's Eric. Get me Chow."

"Sure thing!" she said as she dropped the phone.

"Chow," said the voice on the phone.

"Chow, it's Eric. Something has come up that renders me and Pam unable to come in tonight. We may not be in tomorrow either. I trust you can handle things in our absence."

"Of course."

"Let me know if anything important happens." Eric hung up without waiting for a reply.

His next step was to visit Lafayette since he had been at the witches meeting for some reason. If he was somehow involved in cursing Pam, he would not hesitate to kill him this time. The only reason he was still alive was because he was Sookie's friend. He proved to be most useless with the selling of V. Eric hoped he would be more useful in helping Pam.

Walking out of his office, he found Sookie and Pam on the couch. Pam was watching the tv but Sookie was asleep. Eric cursed himself for not thinking of her needs better. She worked all day, surely she would be tired. He should have insisted that she rest when they got home.

Eric quietly picked up Sookie and brought her into his bedroom. He laid her down on the bed, pulled off her shorts and tucked her under the covers. Placing a soft kiss on her forehead he whispered, "Sleep, my Sookie. I will not be long."

He went back to the living room to talk to Pam.

"Pam, listen," he said to gain her attention. When she looked at him he continued, "I must go talk to someone to see if I can help you. Stay here, watch tv, read, or take a bath if you like but you cannot leave. Sookie is not to be disturbed. Stay out of my bedroom. Can you do that or do I have to command you?"

"I can do that," she said sullenly.

"Good. Are you hungry?"

"Do you have someone for me?" she asked eagerly.

"No, but it have bagged blood in the freezer and Tru Blood. I would choose the bagged blood, though you are free to try each. I will be back shortly. You know where your room is? You have many clothes and shoes in your closet. Perhaps you would enjoy going through those."

Her eyes lit up at the thought, though she didn't know why she was so excited.

Eric flew back to Bon Temps and landed at Lafayette's house in time to watch him get out of his car.

"Honey, I'm ho-ome," Eric sing songed at Lafayette, causing him to jump back.

"Oh, hell naw!" yelled Lafayette.

"Oh, come now. This is how you greet me? After all I've done for you?" Eric smirked at him.

"Shit, motherfucker, what you want with me?"

"Well, first of all, I am not nor have I ever been a mother fucker. At least not my mother," he grinned. "But I'm sure you know why I'm here. You hanging out with witches now, honey?" He added softly, shaking his head "Why did you have to be there? Why are you always getting mixed up in shit like this?" Eric was not excited at the prospect of hurting one of Sookies friends but he had his progeny to think about and he needed Lafayette to know he was deadly serious.

"Aw, shit. I ain't had nothin' to do with that shit. My boyfriend dragged me there. I swear, Eric!"

Eric smiled a terrifying smile, not at all happy. "Do I look like I give a fuck that you were dragged there by anyone? My child is damaged and you and your little fucking boyfriend are going to help me fix her. Do I make myself clear?"

Lafayette gulped audibly. "I don't know what-"

Eric cut him off by standing in front of him, inches from his face. "Oh, I'm sorry sweetheart," he said, dripping sarcasm before his voice dropped an octave and became serious, "Did you think that I was asking?"

"I'll help you. I'll try but I don't know what I can do!"

"You and your boyfriend- what's his name?"

"Jesus."

"Jesus," Eric repeated with a mirthless laugh, "Well, let's hope he can perform miracles, yes? You two will meet me at Fangtasia tomorrow night at 10. You'd better have some good news for me."

"Sure, Eric. We'll be there. I swear it."

"Yes, you'd better be there. Let me make this clear- the only reason I haven't killed you yet given my many opportunities, is because Sookie is fond of you. She likes you for some reason but if you fuck this up and Pam is not fixed, I will personally see to it that you become the tastiest, best dressed snack in the neighborhood. Do we understand each other?"

Lafayette nodded vigorously and backed up his porch towards his door, keeping his eye on Eric until he was inside his house.

Eric vamped up to his doorway and put his hand out before the door could close. "And don't even think about rescinding my invitation. I will just find you somewhere else. If you make me come looking for you, it will be the last fucking thing that you do." He flashed a fanged grin at Lafayette before taking to the sky and flying swiftly away.

As Eric neared his house he saw Sookie outside with another woman he didn't recognize. Suddenly he smelled the unique and intoxicating scent of pure fairy.

Soon after Eric left, Sookie was woken up by a thought it seemed. She sat up and listened. She heard it again and this time recognized it as a telepathic projection into her mind. Claudine!

_I am outside, Sookie. Come to me. _

_Claudine? What do you want? I'm not coming back to Faery with you! _

_Sookie, I am not here to take you back if you do not wish to come. I am here to help you. You are in the house of a vampire. _

_And I'm fine. Promise me you won't try to take me and I'll come out and talk to you. _

_I promise Sookie! _

As Sookie got up and grabbed her shorts to go outside, she wondered where Eric was. She had fallen asleep on the couch and she woke up in bed. She was sure Eric had put her there so the question was, where was he now?

She walked out into the living room but Pam was nowhere to be seen so Sookie figured she was in her room. She walked quickly in that direction and knocked on the door to the anteroom knowing Pam would be able to hear it. When the door opened, she asked Pam about Eric.

"He said he needed to go talk to someone who might be able to help me and he will be home soon," answered Pam.

"Okay, that's good. I hope he finds someone who can help you," Sookie smiled. "A friend of mine is outside so I'm just going to go talk to her. I'll be back soon. Just stay here like Eric said." She knew Pam couldn't leave the house so Claudine should be safe. She didn't want her to be drained even though she was angry at her deception.

_I'm coming_, _Claudine_, she projected to her as she left Pam's room.

Once outside, Sookie was greeted by her beautiful Fae cousin with a warm hug.

"I'm sorry, Sookie. Can you forgive me?"

"I just don't understand what you all were doing? Why were you trying to keep people there? It's just so wrong!"

"Our numbers are dwindling, Sookie. Queen Mab started taking drastic measures to increase the Fae. She was gathering our part human relatives."

"Even so, at least give people a choice!"

"It has stopped, Sookie. Some fairies have even broken away and created a new realm. Perhaps you will accompany me there sometime. But let's talk about this," she gestured to the house.

"What about it?"

"You live with a vampire? How can this be safe?"

"I don't live here. I'm just staying over. But I love him. He would never hurt me."

"Is that not what you thought of the last vampire? The one who betrayed you and almost drained you? The one who had so much of your blood that he passed into the Fae realm?"

"Well, yes...but no! Eric is different! He has always protected me! He would never lose control like Bill did and he loves me, genuinely. I'm happy, Claudine."

"Very well. I shall have to trust you. But that is not why I'm here anyway. I am here to offer you assistance. Would you like to learn more control over your light? To be able to defend yourself when you need to?"

"You can train me? Yes!"

"Good. I will come to you when you are at your home. The Fae portal is close to there and you can meet some more people who can help you...Your vampire approaches. Can you keep him from harming me?"

"I will try but can't you just pop away?"

"I can, but I want to speak with him."

Eric flew down and landed next to Sookie, his fangs immediately decending with an audible click.

Sookie stood in front of Eric to talk to him before he lost himself because of the fairy. Eric's eyes were quickly glazing over and his body seemed to be almost vibrating.

"Eric!" Sookie said, placing her hand on his chest. "Listen to me, baby. This is Claudine, my fairy godmother. Please don't hurt her. She's going to help me learn to control my light." Eric was slowly pushing against Sookie's hand in an effort to get to Claudine.

Sookie reached up and grabbed his face in both of her hands, bringing his eyes down to hers. "Eric! Control yourself! Do not hurt her. Can you promise me that? Put your fangs away, baby."

Eric stared into her eyes and with a considerable effort he got himself under control and retracted his fangs. He went around to stand behind Sookie and pulled her back into his body, circling his arms around her middle. He dropped his head into her shoulder and remained there, without inhaling, so he wouldn't smell the scent of the two fairies standing with him.

"Thank you, Eric," whispered Sookie, turning her head towards his face at her side. Sookie was glad that he was old enough to have such good control. Though she could feel him, hard against her back and she knew he was still extremely excited.

"Thank you, vampire," said Claudine, "I wanted to ask you if you will help train Sookie. She will need practice against vampires, not all of them are as controlled as you as I'm sure you know well. Will you practice with her so she may be able to defeat any enemy that comes against her?"

"Yes, of course," said Eric. "It would be my honor to help prepare Sookie to defend herself."

"Do you love her, vampire?"

Eric looked up, startled by this question even though he had no doubt of his love for Sookie. "With all that I am," he replied solemnly.

Claudine smiled. "Good," she said, "Do you plan to bond with her?"

Eric was once again startled by the fairy's forward question. He wasn't sure how to answer this one. "I wish to," he said softly, "If Sookie would like that. But she and I have not discussed it."

"What's bonding?" asked Sookie.

"It's when two lovers exchange blood at the same time. They become linked to one another, a bond forms. The more times they exchange blood, the stronger the bond," explained Claudine.

"And you want that, Eric?" Sookie asked, turning around in his arms. Bill had never explained much about the effects of vampire blood, only telling her that it increased attraction. He had never wanted to bond with her, he never even told her there was such a thing.

Eric looked down at Sookie and cupped her cheek in his hand. "Very much so my darling Sookie," he whispered close to her lips.

She couldn't help but smile, and she kissed him passionately, which he returned with equal fervor, pressing himself against her.

"Ahem," said Claudine, "Very well, I will let you two be alone. I see you at least share some traits with fairies," she said with a small laugh.

Sookie turned to look at Claudine and Eric made an undignified snort at Claudine's words.

"What do you mean?" Sookie asked, confused by the remark since she didn't know all that much about fairies.

"Nothing, Sookie. I must leave now. I will come back to start the training soon."

Before Sookie could respond, Claudine popped away and she was left with a very happy Eric.

"What did she mean, about me sharing traits with fairies?"

Eric laughed and winked at Sookie, before pulling her tightly into his arms. "Fairies love sex," he whispered into her ear, causing a shiver to work its way down her back.

Sookie ran her hands down Eric's back and slid them over his perfect butt. "I guess we have that in common, then," she laughed.

Eric's eyes suddenly became stormy and dark and his piercing gaze told Sookie that his control was slipping. "Sookie, if we do not go inside right now, I will take you on the grass. I need you now," he rasped out as his hands roamed all over Sookie's body.

"Let's go, cowboy," Sookie said as she grabbed his hand, pulling him with her to the house, "I promised to make up for earlier."

"You smell like fairy, Sookie. I cannot be slow and sweet with you right now. Please tell me now if you don't want this. I will stay out here if you don't want me but I cannot be close to you until I calm myself."

"Eric, baby, I want you," she stopped to kiss his lips and palm his erection through his pants. "I want you," she repeated as he growled at her, his fangs dropping once again.

Pam came out of her room when she heard the front door opening. She stopped as soon as she scented the increase of fairy in the air. Her fangs came down and she moaned. "Mmm!" she groaned, "Why do you smell so much stronger? This is not fair!"

"My fairy cousin was outside. She hugged me. I'm sorry, Pam. I don't mean to make things harder for you." She was walking with Eric to the bedroom the whole time she was speaking.

"Pam," Eric gritted out harshly, "Sookie and I will be busy...for a while. Do. Not. Disturb us." His eyes were like flames on a midnight lake, burning hot but surrounded by dark pools of desire.

Pam backed up at the fierce look in his eyes. "Yes, Eric," she said, not even trying to argue with him in this state.

"Sorry, Pam," said Sookie. "He's very worked up. He'll be back to normal soon."

As soon as they entered the bedroom, Eric stood close to Sookie, pressing the entire length of his body against her. He was hard and nearly trembling with excitement. He stepped back and began removing his clothes, all the while keeping his gaze steady on Sookie's. As soon as he was naked, he started to undress Sookie, never once breaking eye contact.

"Please, Sookie," he said hoarsely, as he backed her towards the bed. She climbed quickly onto the bed and Eric kneeled before her. He pulled her legs until her bottom was on the edge of the bed and dipped his head to inhale deeply. "Sookie, Sookie, Sookie," Eric chanted as he ran his nose up and down her thighs and all over her abdomen and curls.

Sookie thought it was sweet but strange and marveled at the fact that he thought this was out of control. Obviously he was more in charge of his actions than he realized. He had the control to leave Claudine alone, to tell Sookie what he was feeling, to talk to Pam, and to wait until they got to the bedroom before undressing. He even said please!

"Eric, baby, it's okay. Take me. I'm yours," she murmured to him, stroking his hair. She was not afraid. He was not out of control.

Eric's head snapped up and his eyes fixed her with a predatory stare. He slowly crawled on the bed and up the length of her body. He laid his body on top of hers keeping most of his weight off of her.

Sookie widened her legs and bent her knees, which brought Eric's hardened length to the apex of her thighs. She rolled her hips, sliding herself along his swollen shaft.

Eric's chest rumbled. "Always so ready for me, lover."

"I need you inside of me, Eric." As good as he felt slipping along her slick folds, she needed more. She reached down and taking hold of his cock, she slid her thumb over his wet slit, drawing a hiss from his mouth. She brought the head to her entrance and the feel of him there, thick and ready, made a moan fall from her lips. She held her breath in anticipation as his hips began to move.

Eric pushed into Sookie and growled against her mouth as she reached to kiss him. Sookie immediately placed her hands on his backside, urging him deeper. His full length stretched her and filled her in the best way possible and she gasped at feeling him so deep inside.

Eric surprised her by quickly flipping them so that she was astride him. "Now you are in charge," he said softly.

"You surprise me, my vampire," said Sookie. "Did you think you were out of control?"

Eric thought about her question before answering. "You ground me, Sookie. You make me better."

"Eric," Sookie whispered before leaning down to kiss him. Her heart swelled at his words and even though she would have thought it impossible, she fell even more in love with him.

Sookie leaned down and licked Eric's bottom lip so he would open his mouth and then tangled her tongue with his. She kissed down his jaw to his ear and gently nipped his lobe causing him to twitch inside of her.

"Please, Sookie," he moaned. "Ride me. I need you to move. Let me feel you squeezing me, sliding over me, warm and wet. Please."

Sookie sat up and crooked her finger at Eric, beckoning him closer. He sat up and backed up to the headboard, still inside of Sookie. She bent her legs so that her shins were on the bed and she could move up and down on her knees. Now their chests were pressed together and Sookie could reach his face without bending down. She cupped his cheeks and leaned in to kiss him tenderly.

"I know you don't want slow and sweet, Eric, but you can't just tell me I make you better and not expect me to be a girl about it."

"You are always a girl...I don't understand," said Eric, with knitted brows.

"I mean, I'm going all mushy on you. I just want to squeeze your face and kiss you all over."

"But, I am not going _mushy_ on _you_," he said, "Please, Sookie. Stop teasing me and move, lover. I am trying to wait for you but my patience is running thin." As if on cue, his cock twitched again inside of her and she squeezed in response. He lifted his hips and groaned as his eyes rolled back in his head.

Sookie sat up on her knees, which made Eric slide out a little and grunt. She lifted until only his swollen head was still inside her and then sat down forcefully, making Eric moan loudly.

"Like that?" she whispered against his ear.

Eric gripped her hips, careful not to press too hard. "Yes! Just like that. Again!" he growled.

Sookie lifted again and this time swiveled her hips as she came down and squeezed her inner muscles when she felt his full length inside her. She kept up the movement, finding a quick rhythm that made them both moan on each stroke. Soon Sookie was panting and Eric's body was tense with his impending release. He dropped his hand to rub circles around her clit and his mouth to swirl his tongue around her nipples. Sookie gasped and called out his name, urging him on.

"Yes, Eric, yes!" she cried, trembling. She was so close to the edge she felt like she was floating.

Eric put his hands on her hips again and changed the angle of his thrusts so that his cock was rubbing over her most sensitive spot. Sookie's whole body convulsed and she panted and shook in an almost violent orgasm.

Eric held her tightly against him as he thrust a few more times, spilling inside her with a series of grunts matching each pulse of his cock.

They sat together, with Eric still inside of her, as Sookie caught her breath. When she was able, she climbed off and Eric pulled her down to his side. He scooted up behind her and held her, letting his hand wander up and down her side.

"You are perfect, lover. Thank you," said Eric, kissing Sookie's cheek.

"And you are a perfect lover," Sookie said smiling, making Eric chuckle slightly.

They lay together quietly for a long time, just enjoying being so close.

"Oh, hey," said Sookie, breaking the silence. "Where did you go earlier?"

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**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm not sure what to do about bonding because they don't mention it much on a True Blood except when Amnesia!Eric says "we will be one," but I'm not sure what that even means. Esp because she then ditched him, (sobbing) so I might just make something up. I also am pretending Chow still works with Pam and Eric since they never said anything about him and he just sorta disappeared.**

** Please review! Thanks! :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Here's the next chapter! At the end of the last chapter, Eric is just about to explain his visit to Lafayette. Let's see what Sookie thinks about it.**

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"You did what?" Sookie yelled at Eric, jumping off the bed to retrieve her clothes. She began putting them back on as Eric spoke.

"Sookie, I did not hurt your friend. He was there with the witches. The witches that cursed Pam! I am sorry for your upset but my progeny trumps your cross-dressing fry cook." Eric glared at Sookie. She needed to understand where his loyalties were. They were not with Lafayette.

"Fine, ugh," said Sookie making an exasperated sound. "What will you do if he can't help you?"

"If he can't help but he tries, then I will not do much beyond scaring him thoroughly. If he refuses to help, or he does not come to Fangtasia tomorrow night with his boyfriend, I will kill him. Like I told him."

"What?! No way! You will do nothing of the sort!"

Eric was up off the bed with his nose in Sookie's face faster than she could track with her eyes. He was angry, his nostrils flared, his fangs down, his eyes piercing.

"Do _not_ push me!" he growled menacingly into her face. "You should be grateful that I did not kill your vampire blood selling friend when I had the chance." His voice was low and quiet but that did not make it any less scary.

Sookie felt herself shrinking down and backing away from him but stopped herself as soon as she realized what she was doing. Eric was behaving badly but since she didn't realistically believe he would hurt her, she decided to stand her ground.

"Oh, I should be _grateful_ you didn't kill my friend? I should be fucking grateful? How about I should be appalled at the level of damage you caused to him. How about I be fucking furious that you left him so messed up that he had vampire induced PTSD? I'll be grateful when you act like a decent man! And put your damn clothes on. I don't want to see all that right now," she said, gesturing to his groin.

Eric ignored her command to dress himself. "I am not merely a man, Sookie! Do not place human values onto me. That is _your_ doing if you are disappointed when I act like what I am! My priority is to get my progeny fixed, not to mollify you and convince you I am decent. Because I am not _decent,_ Sookie Stackhouse. I am a vampire!" His voice rose with each word of his last sentence until the last word came out in a roar that caused Sookie to shrink in fear.

Eric stood completely still staring at Sookie, willing himself to calm down. He did not mean to scare her, he never meant to scare her. He was usually able to refrain from harsh reactions to Sookie's demanding and sometimes irritating nature. Hell, he let her slap and berate him without so much as raising his voice to her. But having his Pamela damaged, when he was there and should have been able to protect her, was weighing heavily on him and he was feeling unsettled. He did not want to argue with Sookie but he also did not want to have to explain his actions to her.

He approached her slowly, watching her with concern. He did not want her to be afraid of him. Never of him. He reached out his hand to her and her eyes snapped to his. Instead of the love that usually accompanied her gaze, Eric found himself staring into eyes steeled by anger and cooled by fear. These were not the eyes he had come to know over the last several days with Sookie.

He felt a mostly unfamiliar sensation in the pit of his stomach, a feeling that was only brought about by one telepathic barmaid who had cast her spell over his life from the moment he first laid eyes on her. The feeling was shame and it was most unwelcome.

"Sookie, I..." he started but stopped when he couldn't think of what he should say to her. Being at a loss for words was also unwelcome but expected when it came to Sookie.

"No, Eric! Lafayette is my friend. I'm sure he didn't knowingly hurt Pam. He wouldn't do that. You should have seen how scared he was when he came back from that dungeon you kept him in! He was beyond terrified! I can't imagine how much you scared him by showing up at his house tonight. There are other ways to get what you want besides scaring and torturing people! Small business owner my ass! You are a fucking liar!"

Eric realized that Sookie must have seen his television spot that he'd done for Nan Flanagan. Surely she knew it was a giant crock of shit. "Sookie, that was tv! I have never lied to you!"

"Yeah, never me. Just the rest of the damn state!" she yelled, her fingers balled up at her sides. She remembered striking Eric that night in Fangtasia and she itched to do it again, though it hadn't been smart then and it would certainly be even worse now. She was angry, though. Angry enough that she did not want to look at Eric's face anymore at that moment. Since she couldn't go home, she would have to find another room to sleep in.

As she turned to walk across the room to the door, Eric grabbed her arm tightly, but not painfully. Sookie was in no mood to be messed with, however, and she turned sharply and glared at him. "Let. Me. Go," she hissed at him, pulling free from his grasp. The fact that she was able to, told her that Eric let her since he was infinitely stronger.

"Where are you going?" he asked, his voice pleading. He had messed up, he knew that. He just didn't know how to make it right. He was not willing to back down because he needed to help Pam but he knew Sookie was stubborn and would not accept that.

"Out of here. I don't want to look at your face right now. Or your dick, which you can't seem to keep covered." That ridiculous statement caused Sookie to smile slightly and some of her anger left her with her involuntary snicker.

Eric was overjoyed with this small change in her demeanor and he had a small hope that they could salvage the short time they had until dawn.

"Sookie, I," he tried again. "I'm sorry, don't leave. Will you stay if I put my pants on?" he joked, hoping to further lighten the mood.

Sookie looked into his puppy dog eyes- he had really perfected that look- and her own eyes softened at the sad look in his. She took a deep breath in and let the rest of her anger go with her exhale. "Let's not fight," she said, walking towards him.

When she was within reach, Eric grabbed her and crushed her to his chest, kissing her forehead, her cheeks and her nose in a gesture that was as sweet as it was desperate.

"Yes, let's not. There are so many much more enjoyable things we could be doing," he said with his crooked smile.

Sookie rolled her eyes at his blatant attempt to flirt his way back into her good graces. "You're just lucky you're so good looking you frustrating vampire!" she said smiling.

"I knew you only wanted me for my body," he said, pretending to be disappointed.

Sookie's smile faded and Eric was instantly on edge. He knew that was too easy.

"Just promise me you will be nice to Lafayette and Jesus when you see them tomorrow?" she asked.

Eric thought about what kind of response to give her. He did not want to lie to her but he also could not promise to be 'nice' if a different response was warranted. Finally he said, "If your friend and his boyfriend cooperate, I will promise to be...less frightening." He looked at her to gauge her reaction to his promise. She seemed to accept it.

"I guess that's as good as I will get, isn't it?" she sighed and Eric nodded. "Ugh, fine," she huffed.

Eric smiled. "So, onto those other more enjoyable things..."

They had fun doing those very enjoyable things until Sookie could no longer keep her tired eyes open and Eric snuggled up to her, telling her to sleep.

By the time Sookie woke up the next day, it was after noon and she was starving. She realized she hadn't eaten since her dinner break at Merlotte's. And she had certainly worked off plenty of calories with a certain tall blonde Viking last night. Sookie recalled the vigorous make-up sex they had and blushed even though she was alone in the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and took a quick shower. Leaving her hair down to dry naturally, she headed into the kitchen to make herself a hearty meal.

She decided to make ham and eggs with biscuits and a fruit salad. After wolfing it down in a most unladylike fashion and noting that Gran would be ashamed of her manners, she went to the living room to look out the large window. It was a gloriously sunny day and light flooded into the house. Drawn to the sunshine, Sookie opened the slider to the huge wooden deck and stepped outside. It was a warm day and Sookie decided to grab a towel and lay out on the deck. She got herself situated with a tall glass of sweet tea and a book from Eric's library and laid in the sun until it moved from her body as it journeyed across the sky. With a sigh she got up and went back inside.

Eric had told her that Lafayette was meeting him at Fangtasia at ten o'clock. She thought that being back at Fangtasia would be really hard for Lafayette because there were nothing but horrible memories associated with it for him. She decided to call him to let him know she would be there so maybe he wouldn't be so scared to come. She really wanted him to cooperate with Eric, both so he would not be hurt and so Pam would get her memory back. Lafayette answered on the third ring.

"Sook! What's up girl?" he answered.

"Hey Lafayette. I heard you had a visit from Eric last night?"

"How'd you know?" he answered and Sookie could hear the fear in his voice.

"He told me. I didn't know he was going to show up at your house, believe me. I would have gone with him. He told me you and Jesus will be coming to Fangtasia tonight?"

"Shit Sookie! You with Eric now?"

"I am. I know I know! Don't you say anything!" Sookie was tired of defending her choices.

"Fine, fine! He wants us to help Pam. That blondie look innocent but she's scary as hell! Is she really cursed?"

"She is. And Eric needs to help her. You're coming tonight, right? Eric is really freaked out and I don't want him to hurt you. Please tell me you plan on coming tonight?"

"Eric is freaked out? Sookie, he freaked my shit out! But we do plan on comin'. As much as I can't stand that place. We'll be there. But, Sook, don't tell Tara if you see her. She's still super freaked about vamps."

"Tara's back?" Sookie asked.

"Yeah, Sook, but she ain't gonna be happy that you with another blood sucker."

"I know. I know I can't really defend him to you but he's so different when he's with me."

"You love him," Lafayette said sagely. "Girl, believe it or not. I gets it. He fine as hell. I was scared to death of him when he locked my ass up in his dank ass dungeon. I thought I was gonna die! But he let me go and then he came back and gave me his blood to heal my leg, remember. And then I had all those dreams - those nasty, fantastic dreams. Damn girl, those dreams come true for you? He gave me his car- did he tell you that craziness? I don't understand his perfect ass, and he still scary as hell, but I gets it. I still hates that motherfucker, but I do."

"I remember those dreams," Sookie said with a blush, "They did come true I guess!"

"Lucky you! Jesus and I are tryin' to help. We is, hooka. We at the damn witch's shop now going through all her fuckin' spell books. This shit crazy Sook! And we ain't found shit. But we'll be at that damn vampire club tonight. Hoping not to get our asses murdered!"

"Just show him that you're trying. He's really worried about Pam. He loves her, Lafayette. If anything happened to Jesus or Tara, you'd try to help as much as you could, right?"

He sighed. "You know that's right," he said. "Just don't let him kill us, Sook, and we be straight. Well, not straight," he laughed. "We still be gay as fuck, but you know..."

"Yeah," she said laughing. "I'll do as much as I can. Don't be scared, okay?"

"Okay, sugar. See you later."

Once Sookie hung up with Lafayette, she called Jason to let him know she wouldn't be home for a few days but she got his voicemail and had to leave a message. She told him not to worry about her and that she'd call him when she got home. She wasn't sure how Jason would respond to Eric but she hoped they could at least be civil to each other.

After that, she made herself another meal, noting that she would need to go grocery shopping soon. That made her wonder how the groceries got into Eric's kitchen in the first place. She was sure that Eric would never go food shopping nor did he have the time before they got to his house. It was just another thing for her to ask Eric. She also wanted to know more about bonding and vampire blood in general. Hopefully Eric would be more forthcoming than Bill because she was sure there was a lot to learn.

When she finished eating, she went back into Eric's room, knowing he would be awake soon. When she got into the room, she found him already awake, stretched out on his back, texting on his phone.

He reached a hand out to her, silently beckoning her without looking up from his phone. Sookie found herself walking towards him before her brain even acknowledge his request. She put her small warm hand in his large cool one. He squeezed her hand and pulled her until her body laid halfway on top of his. He was naked and somewhat aroused but Sookie was fully dressed. Even though his body was obviously aware of her presence, his mind was otherwise occupied with his phone. Sookie decided to see if she could shift his focus.

She began placing soft kisses all over his chest, which caused said chest to rumble with a soft purr. His fingers were still busy with his phone however. She moved lower, placing kisses on his ribs and abdomen. His muscles rippled and tightened but he was still focused on that phone. Sookie needed to get serious. She licked a slow wet trail up his abs to his chest and when she got to his small dusky nipple, she bit gently and was rewarded with a curse as Eric's phone slipped from his hands and fell to the floor with a clatter. She lifted her head and smiled, her mission accomplished.

"You are playing with fire, my Sookie," he said in a husky voice as he leaned down to retrieve his phone.

"Leave it!" Sookie ordered, earning her an amused glare from the vampire who was used to giving the commands. Everything about his relationship with Sookie was unconventional and while sometimes it was a welcome change, at other times it was just a source of frustration.

"Sookie, I must work right now. I have important matters to take care of. I have been neglecting my area for too long." He had been distracted since Sookie's return and while he enjoyed spending so much time with her, there were other things he needed to be doing also.

When he resumed his work with his phone, Sookie resumed her attention to his body, undeterred by his words.

"Sookie," Eric warned.

"What? Surely the big bad Sheriff can multitask. Go about your work. Don't mind me," she said with a smirk and a falsely innocent voice.

Eric mumbled in a foreign language but resumed his work as Sookie started to kiss his body once again. She trailed kisses in a zig zag pattern across and down his entire torso, paying special attention to his nipples and belly button. His erection waved at her, bobbing up every so often to make its presence known. Sookie knew it was there and was studiously avoiding it, knowing that it had to be making Eric crazy. Eric's occasional whispered curses and the wetness accumulating on the tip of his length told Sookie that he was not as unaffected as he seemed. Though he was doing an admirable job of working through it- if he was human, he would have been panting.

Sookie knew she was playing with a vampire but she was still shocked to find herself suddenly on her back, her clothes removed, and with an extremely excited vampire between her legs. Sookie looked over to see Eric's phone spinning to a stop on his bedside table and then back to his face, where his eyes were black and filled with lust and barely contained aggression. His fangs were long and glistening.

"Eric!" she said.

He said nothing, he just stared at her, unmoving. It was really kind of unnerving and if Sookie did not trust him so much, she would have fought to get away.

Finally he spoke, though his voice was low and gravely, in evidence of his great effort to tamp down his dark desires. "You should not have done that. You should not tease me."

His erection, rock hard and wet against her thigh, reminded her of just how much she had teased him and she felt a tinge of remorse at spinning him up so thoroughly. She had no intention of leaving him wanting but she had underestimated the potent effect of her attentions.

Eric dipped his head suddenly and ran his nose along her neck from her shoulder to her ear, inhaling deeply. Sookie realized he had not fed from her in days and her heart began to race. He did not take blood every time they made love. He growled softly and his fangs grazed her skin but he did not bite. Then as fast as he had pinned Sookie with his body, he was up and off of her and across the room.

"I will be in the shower," he gritted out as he walked into the bathroom.

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**A/N: Uh-oh! Eric may be grumpy from being hungry and frustrated. I wonder how Sookie's going to take care of him... Until next time! **

**Thank you to everyone reading this story. I appreciate it! Please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks for reading this story! Here's chapter 12: **

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Eric walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. He needed to get away from Sookie and get himself under control. His fangs ached, his cock ached, and his rational mind was trying to stop his vampire mind from wanting to fuck Sookie into oblivion and drink her dry. She did not understand the scarcely controlled desires of a vampire. She did not understand the evil compulsions of a vampire's mind. So far, Eric had been able to keep himself in check but he should have fed when he rose for the night. Instead, he allowed himself to become irreversibly aroused by a fairy/human hybrid until he could think of nothing more than her warm blood and her wet center. And it did not help that she smelled of sunshine.

Standing under the warm shower, Eric stroked himself as he tried to gain control. He needed a release if he could not have blood right then. He needed something so that he could think clearly again.

He heard her come in. Of course she did, Sookie always did exactly what she wanted.

She entered the bathroom cautiously. When Eric said nothing, she slowly peeled back the shower curtain to take a peek at the angry vampire who ran from her. She did not exactly understand why he left so abruptly but she had an idea about his slipping control. She believed Eric had more control than he realized, however. She also believed that she trusted him more than he trusted himself. Foolish, maybe, but that did not stop her from openly gazing at the large, wet, moaning vampire under the water.

He was standing with one palm on the wall under the shower nozzle, his arm outstretched, and one palm on his cock, stroking steadily. Water sheeted down his muscled back and over his glorious butt, which flexed with the movement of his hand. His head hung between his shoulders and water cascaded down his face, over his closed eyes and his open mouth, dripping off his bottom lip in a single line to the floor. His hair was plastered to his head and sat just over his eyes. His entire body was glistening, all his muscles were taught. Never had Sookie seen him look so beautiful and never had she desired him more.

She stepped cautiously into the shower in front of Eric. He had to have known the instant she entered the bathroom but he had not acknowledged her in anyway. Sookie reached out and slipped her hand under his so that on his next stroke up, she could push his hand off and resume his pleasure. Eric's eyes snapped open and he bared his fangs in a snarl.

"I'm sorry," whispered Sookie as she stroked him with a firm touch, "I didn't mean to-"

"Sookie, go!" Eric cut her off with his growled words.

"No," she said quietly, pumping faster as Eric's hips started moving in counter rhythm to her strokes. She could tell by the set of his jaw and the flare of his nostrils that he was tense and angry and maybe she should have been afraid but she was not.

He gripped her hip tightly and pulled her closer until the warm water enveloped them both. She stepped into his body so that the head of his cock rubbed over her abdomen with each thrust of his hips. Her lips found his chest and she kissed her way to his nipple, sucking and biting it the way he liked. He growled and his hips jerked and pumped faster.

"Eric," she whispered, looking up at him, "Bite me." She tilted her head to the side.

Eric tilted his face down and came slightly closer but instead of biting her, he crashed his lips into hers. When she opened her mouth in surprise he pushed his tongue inside and used it to dominate hers. Their teeth clashed and their tongues battled. Eric's fangs scraped Sookie's tongue, drawing a small amount of blood which Eric sucked greedily into his mouth. His hips rocketed forward and he came with a growl against Sookie's stomach, covering her in his cool fluid.

After a moment to gather himself, he turned her around, under the spray so the warm water would clean her.

"You should not have followed," he murmured into her ear as he put his arms around her and pulled her into his body.

"I trust you," she said.

"Foolish fairy," he grunted as his cock came back to life against Sookie's backside and he rubbed himself over her.

"I was right."

"This time," he said and he ran his hand up her back, pushing between her shoulder blades so she would bend forward. He swiftly entered her from behind causing her to cry out and push backwards into him. She gripped the wall and he gripped her hips as he thrust into her again and again.

He bent forward and kissed up her back to her neck, where he sucked on the spot under her ear that made her crazy. Then he reached one hand around her hip and rubbed her clit with his long fingers. Sookie moaned and trembled with a powerful orgasm and just as her legs were giving way, Eric picked her up.

He turned her to face him, pushed Sookie against the shower wall, and entered her again. So Sookie once more found herself pinned by a Viking, but this time he was not angry and he did not leave. She wrapped her legs around his body and dug her heels into his muscular butt. She again invited him to drink from her and this time he did.

As Eric was drinking his fill from Sookie, she had the sudden urge to bite him back. Maybe because she was feeling reckless or maybe because she was thinking about bonding just before but whatever the reason, once the idea was in Sookie's head, she immediately acted on it. She sank her teeth into Eric's shoulder where her head rested, biting down hard with her blunt teeth and getting a mouthful of his sweet thick blood.

Eric immediately stopped drinking and reared his head back. His hips pistoned into Sookie at vampire speed and he roared his release, his bloody fangs glinting in the dim light of the shower. Sookie had never seen him climax with such a shout and so little control. It excited and terrified her and she hoped he would not be mad that she took his blood without asking.

"Sookie!" Eric said as soon as he was able. He licked and healed her still bleeding wound and then lifted her under her arms to lick the trail of blood that had trickled from her neck down her torso. He paid special attention to her bloody nipple and sucked on it until it pebbled and Sookie moaned.

By that time, Sookie could tell that he was not angry with her but she asked anyway. "You're not mad?"

"Sookie, you have started a blood bond. I am far from angry." He bent to kiss her gently and thoroughly, tangling his tongue with hers in a very different kiss than the punishing kiss before. In this kiss, he poured out his love and his happiness and the tender nature of it brought tears to Sookie's eyes.

Eric looked at her in awe. "You are happy," he whispered to her.

"So happy," she agreed.

"I can feel it. I can feel you again. I did not realize how much I missed it."

"Can you tell how much I love you?" she whispered.

Eric stood still as if he was listening to something far off in the distance. His face softened as he felt for Sookie inside of himself and as he found her, his brow furrowed because what he found there was so good and powerful it was almost painful.

"Oh sweet sweet Sookie," he said, kissing her face over and over. He turned off the shower and lifted Sookie to the bathmat. He got a big towel and reverently dried her body and then his own. He scooped her up bridal style and carried her slowly to the bed, where he laid her down and covered her body with his. He was still warm from the shower so when he entered her, they both felt a different sensation than ever before as Eric was then warmer than the surrounding air.

Their coupling was tender and unrushed. They moved together in perfect harmony, right up until their intense shuddering simultaneous finish. Afterwards, they lay kissing for a long while until Eric went to the bathroom and retrieved a brush and hair tie.

"Can I?" he asked as Sookie sat up to see what he had.

"You want to brush my hair?" Sookie asked, surprised by the loving gesture.

"Yes, and braid it like I used to do mine."

He looked eager and happy so Sookie let him have his way with her hair. She closed her eyes as he sat behind her on the bed and ran the brush through her golden locks. He was careful and gentle and did not pull and Sookie marveled at this giant, thousand year old vampire's ability to be so tender and loving.

"You continue to amaze me, Eric. I didn't know you could braid hair let alone brush so gently. It feels really good," she sighed.

"I'm glad. I love you Sookie. I am sorry if I frightened you earlier. I should have fed before I allowed you to touch me like you did."

"I'm sorry, Eric. I should have stopped when you asked me to. I didn't mean to make you crazy. I thought it would be fun but I should have known better. Although I do trust you not to hurt me."

"Yes, but you should not put so much faith in a vampire, Sookie. I have had a thousand years to learn to control my urges and even I sometimes find that control slipping. Especially when it comes to you, my frustrating telepath," he said, tilting her head to kiss her temple.

"I love you, Eric"

Eric smiled, "I know," he said. He patted her shoulder, "Come, I am finished." He stood up and led her into the bathroom so she could look at her hair in the mirror.

"Oh, Eric! It's beautiful! Thank you!" she said, smiling brightly at Eric in the mirror.

She turned around and pulled him down for a kiss. Eric's chest rumbled when Sookie's body and lips came into contact with his but he reluctantly pulled away so they could get dressed and ready to go to Fangtasia.

Eric chose dark jeans, a charcoal gray v-neck T and black boots, which was his Fangtasia standard. He would put on his leather jacket right before they left. Sookie wore a light blue sundress with small flowers all over it.

As they headed out to the living room, they found Pam drinking a TruBlood and cursing about it's awful taste.

"Why don't you drink the bagged blood, Pam," asked Eric, opening the freezer.

"I tried. I...over cooked it and it tasted like shit," she said dejectedly.

Sookie could not help her snicker but Eric was more sympathetic. "I will fix one for you," he said moving about the kitchen. "We must go to Fangtasia tonight. That's the vampire club we own. We will meet with some people that might be able to help you. Let's hope they can."

"Oh, I hope so," said Pam.

"Sookie," said Eric, "Will you help Pam dress in suitable Fangtasia attire? She can't go like that."

Pam looked down at her pink skirt suit and matching Louboutin slingbacks. "What is wrong with what I have on?"

"It's too normal," said Sookie smiling, "You look too nice."

Pam and Sookie went into Pam's room to choose Fangtasia worthy clothes. That meant something black or red, sexy, and revealing. Sookie looked through the closet to find something suitable.

"Cheese and rice, you have a lot of clothes! Here," she said, holding out a sparkly red one-sleeved dress, "Let's find some jewelry."

Pam stripped unceremoniously and was wearing the dress as Sookie rifled through her jewelry. She took out a red, three layer beaded choker and fastened it around Pam's neck. She put the matching bracelet on her wrist and found red stockings to match the dress.

"What about you, Sookie? Surely what you are wearing cannot be considered Fangtasia attire."

"True, but I don't have anything else. I don't usually dress the part anyway."

"I'm sure something I have will fit you, and it will even be longer on you, so less revealing like your dress now. Do you not think Eric would like you in something sexier?"

"Oh, I'm sure he would!" said Sookie, laughing slightly, "I'm sure he would love it. Okay, let's see what I can find."

They both looked through the closet again. Pam pulled out a black corseted dress but Sookie shook her head. Trying again, Pam grabbed a dark red cap sleeved dress with a ruffled neck and a strange waist with rows of corded eyelets. It had a zipper than ran the whole length of the dress. It was tight but not too revealing and Sookie decided she would wear it tonight because she knew Eric would like it. She found some matching jewelry that Pam was happy to let her borrow. After all, Pam had no idea if they were favorites of hers or not!

Once they were dressed, they took turns applying make-up, which again, Pam was happy to let Sookie use.

As they walked out from Pam's room, both dressed and made up beautifully, Eric turned to look at them. His fangs snicked out immediately as he took in Sookie's outfit. He was in front of her in a flash.

"Sookie," he purred, fingering the zipper on her dress, "You are radiant, absolutely beautiful."

Sookie smiled shyly at him. "I thought you'd like it. Thank you."

"I love it," he said in a low voice. "I love what's underneath it more," he said, slowly pulling down the zipper until her breasts were in danger of spilling out.

"Eric," she breathed as he brought his face down and kissed the swells of her breasts. She tried in vain to pull the zipper back up.

There's no telling what Eric would have tried if Pam was not there. She _was_ there, however, and so she interrupted the display of affection in front of her.

"What about me, Eric? Don't I look beautiful?"

Eric turned to her with a big genuine smile. "You are beautiful as always," he said as he kissed her forehead and ran his hand over her hair in their usual tender way. Pam's eyes widened and she seemed surprised by Eric's gesture.

"Do you love me? That's what I feel from you, but I am not sure how or why. I keep having these strange feeling that do not belong to me...They belong to you," she said in awe as she looked up at him.

"Yes, it's part of our bond as maker and child and yes, I do love you," he said as he kissed her again, "We must go soon so we can make sure things are in order at Fangtasia before our guests arrive."

"Eric," Sookie said, before he could get ready to leave, "People are going to notice that Pam isn't acting like herself. We're going to have to coach her on acting like Pam."

Pam without her memories was way too nice and engaged. Regular Pam was acerbic and disinterested and if they did not want everyone to know she'd been cursed, they'd have to make sure this Pam was too.

Eric nodded and gestured for Sookie to continue as he poured the now warmed blood into a glass for Pam.

"Pam, you have to act bored," Sookie continued, "Like you are not interested in anybody or anything. Like everything annoys you...And you hate everyone's clothes. You like women more than men so don't be afraid to flirt with them. You are second in charge under Eric so don't take shit from anybody. Just kind of be a bitch," Sookie said with a grimace at the insult.

"But surely I don't hate everybody? I am your friend, right?" Pam said with a worried look on her face.

"Well...not really. You don't really like me. I think you just kind of tolerate me because Eric likes me. I think I was growing on you though...maybe a little. You can act kind of friendly to me tonight. You can certainly flirt with me because you used to a lot. You were always trying something on me."

"I can certainly see why," she said with a leer.

"Sookie is mine so you should not flirt with her," said Eric, annoyed.

"Chill out, Eric. Don't start with all that. Don't you do that to me at Fangtasia either," said Sookie

"Of course I will claim you at Fangtasia. I am the sheriff, Sookie! Would you rather another vampire tries to take you?"

"Well, no, but I don't want to be paraded around as the sheriff's new dinner whore."

"Is that what you think of me?" his eyes flashed with hurt, "That I parade around with whores? That I have ever claimed a human as my mate?"

"No, I'm sorry, Eric. That's not what I think. I just have a hard time at Fangtasia where everyone is thinking about either wanting you or when they had you. It's not very fun," she said with a sigh.

Eric's eyes softened, "I am sorry you have to hear those things. But know that you are the only one that I want and I have never bonded myself to a human before."

"I know. And we need to talk more about bonding later but for now, fine, claim me. I know I felt good claiming that you were mine to Bill!" she said with a laugh, remembering Bill's face when she did.

"Yes, that was...I enjoyed that too," said Eric. Then because he just thought of it, he added, "Listen, Pam. Nobody can know about Sookie's telepathic abilities or her fairy nature. I command you not to speak of these things. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Eric," she said solemnly as she finished her blood.

"Good, then let's go."

As they pulled up in front of Fangtasia, and Pam got out the car with a big smile and wide eyes, Sookie knew they would have their work cut out for them if they did not want anyone to find out about her.

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**A/N: I hope this answered the guest review who was confused about why Eric left at the end of the last chapter. He wasn't really trying to get back at Sookie, he was just worried that his control was slipping and he didn't want to hurt her. **

**Next up- Pam and the gang at Fangtasia. How do you think Pam will act around all those people? **

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	13. Chapter 13

"Pam, no smiling. You're bored, remember?" Sookie said under her breath.

"Oh, but this is wonderful. We own this? Look at the line of people!"

"Yes, exactly," said Eric. "This is why we'll go in the other way," he said leading them around the club to the back entrance. They walked through and straight to Eric's office.

"These people sure don't smell as good as you, Sookie," said Pam on the way there.

"Uh, thanks?" said Sookie.

"It is true, lover," said Eric with a leer.

Sookie simply rolled her eyes.

Once in Eric's office, he called for Ginger to bring Sookie a drink. She asked for a gin and tonic.

They all took seats but Pam was obviously bored. She kept tapping her foot to the beat of the music she could hear.

"I love the music! Should we dance, Sookie?"

"I don't know. Does she dance Eric? I've never seen you." Sookie wanted to make sure Pam kept to her normal personality as much as possible.

"Not usually, you usually check IDs at the door. I don't suppose we can put you there tonight. We'll have to get someone else."

Ginger interrupted with Sookie's drink and when it was obvious that she wanted to hang around with them in the office, Eric dismissed her curtly.

"Ginger is really nice, Eric. And loyal. You should be nice to her," Sookie admonished.

Eric just grunted.

"I can man the door," said Pam eagerly, "Then I can find a suitable human for later. Surely I can't be expected to drink bagged blood until I get better. I will even feed on a man!"

"Well, Pam, you must be desperate," Eric joked. He added, "But without me there to make sure things do not get out of hand, you need to drink bagged or bottled."

"Well, you can be there. I told you I wouldn't mind being with you."

Sookie coughed loudly, choking on her drink. "Pam!" she yelled.

Eric waved his hand, "Pam, as abnormal as it is for vampires, I am monogamous with Sookie. Neither one of us will be with anyone else."

Sookie was proud of Eric for explaining that so well. She got up and went to sit on his lap to kiss him. "I love you," she whispered into his mouth.

He made a satisfied noise against her lips, slipping his hand into her hair to tilt her head. He could feel her happiness humming in the bond.

Pam groaned and Sookie and Eric reluctantly parted. Sookie went to sit on her own chair because she knew Eric would not keep his hands to himself if she stayed on his lap.

"We have two hours until Lafayette and Jesus get here," said Eric, resuming business mode.

"Are those the people who can help me?" asked Pam.

"Yes, hopefully. They will try if they wish to live," Eric said gruffly. He felt an immediate spike of irritation from Sookie and looked at her. It was going to make it hard for Eric to operate as usual if he had to feel Sookie's reactions to everything he did.

"Eric!" Sookie said in exasperation, "You promised to be nice!"

"I said _if_ they help I would be nice, lover."

"They're coming. I talked to Lafayette. I wanted to make sure they were coming and let him know I'd be there too."

"Very well," said Eric.

"So be nice to them when they get here. Be polite. Don't scare them!"

"I am a vampire, Sookie. I am scary." he said smugly.

"You know what I mean, Eric. Don't be menacing!"

Eric felt her anger rising and decided to stop incensing her further. "Okay, my lover," he said playfully, "I will do as you say." He smiled brightly at her, hoping she would be happy with him.

He longed to feel her happiness. It was a pleasure he had forgotten since the last time he could feel her but oh, how much more delightful it was when the happiness was directed at him. This bond was proving to be a sweet torture to its vampire owner. He would do anything to make her happy just so he could feel it too. When she was angry it was agony for him and when he remembered her sadness at the reveal of Bill's betrayal, he knew he would never want to feel that through the bond. Yes, he would do whatever he could so that Sookie would be happy and especially, happy with him.

So Eric mused about his new bond with Sookie, and he concluded that he was owned completely by a small human girl. She already owned his heart and soul and now she would own his actions too. The thought simultaneously pleased and enraged him. He could not reconcile the fact of his thousand undead years with the equally impressive fact of his deep and abiding love for Sookie Stackhouse. Would he really sacrifice his ego for her? He searched inside himself for an answer and the only one that he kept coming to was –yes. Unerringly, immutably yes. He would sacrifice anything for her and while that thought would have terrified him weeks ago, tonight it scared him just a little but he mostly felt a profound sense of peace at their deep connection. He was eager to complete their bond so that she could feel him too.

Sookie smiled back at Eric. She was happy that he was listening to her. This excuse he had of being a vampire did not hold much water with her. She believed he could be polite and act right. He did not need to intimidate in order to get what he wanted. She understood that he was extremely worried about Pam but in her mind, even that was not an excuse for bad behavior.

Eric wanted to spend the time waiting for his guests by working in his office. He encouraged Pam to stay with him but she wanted to look around the bar and watch what was happening.

"Ok, but remember how to act, Pam. Do not smile and be nice to these people. They know you as different than that, okay?"

"Ugh, Eric. As if I need any help from you," she said in a scathing tone.

Eric just looked at her blankly until she smiled and said, "See? I can do it!"

Sookie laughed. Maybe Pam really could do it. "That was excellent, Pam!" she said.

Eric was less amused. "I see," he said, "Well have fun. Sookie, will you be staying next to Pam?"

"I will. We'll dance and have a drink. It will be fun!" Sookie enjoyed dancing even though she did not get much of a chance to.

So Sookie and Pam shook their stuff out on the dance floor and had every single being- human and otherwise- watching them intently. As Eric walked out of his office he sensed an immediate wave of arousal from the room and heard many vampires murmuring about his progeny and his bonded. As Eric looked over at Pam and Sookie, he felt lust course through him to see their bodies so close together and writhing rhythmically on the dance floor.

"Shit," he muttered to himself, shaking it off. As a young male approached Sookie to ask for a dance, Eric growled possessively and moved to block his path.

"You want to turn around and walk away now," he said menacingly to the man.

The man stared with huge eyes for a second and then scrambled to move out of proximity of the hulking vampire in his way. "Y-yes," he stuttered.

Eric walked up to Sookie and immediately smelled the presence of another male on her body. He walked up closely behind her and growled in her ear, "You have let another man touch you."

"I danced with someone who asked, Eric. It's not a big deal," Sookie said lightly.

"It is a big deal," said Eric gruffly, turning Sookie around to face him.

"Seriously, Eric. You weren't here. What does it matter?"

Eric sensed her growing irritation at him and changed tactics, "Sookie, it makes me look weak if my human, and I know you don't want to be called that but that's how they see you, but if my human is rubbing herself on another man."

"Rubbing myself? It was a dance!"

"Yes, fine. You dancing with another man makes me look weak, Sookie. You must understand that, my love?" He looked into her eyes to convey his sincerity.

Sookie's anger softened at the look in his eye and the name that he called her, and she hugged Eric, "I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't think about that. I'm really sorry. Do you want to dance with me?"

"I want to do more than dance with you," said Eric, his eyes clouded with lust.

Their bodies were close together and they were swaying slightly with the music. The friction was enough to arouse Eric and Sookie could tell what more he wanted to do.

"My office locks," said Eric in a suggestive tone.

Sookie was debating whether to have an office romp with Eric when she caught sight of Pam, who was running her hand dangerously low on a female patron's stomach.

"Hold that thought," she said to a grumbling Eric, as she walked up to Pam. "Hi, Pam. Who's your friend?" said Sookie.

"This is Amelia. She would like to go somewhere more private with me," said Pam. Then she turned to Sookie and whispered, "Do you know where we could go?"

"Uh, nowhere!" Sookie whispered harshly.

Pam looked heartbroken and Amelia just looked intrigued and a bit excited to have garnered so much attention.

Pam whispered into Sookie's ear, "But she smells good, Sookie. And she likes girls. Is there not somewhere we could go? Ask Eric."

Sookie rolled her eyes and told Pam to wait while she talked to Eric.

Eric, knowing what it is like to be denied when aroused, let Pam into the basement bedroom with a maker's command not to feed from the girl. He couldn't be sure Pam would be safe and not drain her.

By the time Pam and her lover of the night emerged from the basement, disheveled and breathless- the lover because she was winded, Pam because she did not need to breathe- it was time for Lafayette and Jesus to show up.

Sookie was nervous as time ticked by and at five minutes after ten was about to freak out, when they walked through the door.

Lafayette and Jesus walked right up to Sookie. "That damn line is too motherfuckin' long, girl!" Lafayette said, hugging her.

Eric was instantly at her side. "You are late!" he said harshly which earned him a glare and spike of anger from Sookie. He softened his voice and said, "Thank you for coming. Follow me to my office." He led the way and everyone followed.

Lafayette nudged Sookie and widened his eyes while looking at Eric, surprised by his polite thank you. Sookie just smiled.

Once in his office, Eric sat and motioned for the others to sit as well. "Did you find anything to help Pam?" he asked.

"Shit, Eric, we tried. We looked through hundreds of books. Marnie don't even know what she did. Its next to impossible," grumbled Lafayette.

Eric slammed his fists onto his desk in frustration causing everyone to jump. "So, you have nothing?" he yelled.

"We found something, uh, but we ain't sure it's gonna do what we want."

"What is it?" Eric sat forward in anticipation.

"We found a spell, just a kinda general reversal spell, I don't know, we could try it...if you want us to."

Jesus, who had until now been silent, leaned forward and said angrily, "We did nothing to cause this vampire. We are helping you because you threatened Lafayette. We were there all day looking for something, anything, that would help so if this doesn't work, I hope you will remember that."

Eric opened his mouth to speak but Sookie beat him to it. "Of course he knows that, right Eric? He is worried about Pam-"

"Sookie," said Eric harshly, cutting her off. He did not want to be made to seem weak in front of others. He continued with, "I understand that Jesus. I...appreciate your help." He nearly choked on the word appreciate. It had been so long since he offered his sincere thanks to anyone, let alone humans.

Jesus and Lafayette visibly relaxed and Eric felt a pulse of happiness come through the bond from Sookie. Each time he felt her happiness it was like a small caress to his skin from his lover. He wanted this whole thing with Pam to be taken care of quickly both because he loved and worried about his progeny and because he wanted to enjoy his newfound relationship with Sookie and bond completely with her.

"Are you ready to try the spell?" he asked. When they nodded, Eric got up and asked everyone to come to the basement with him so they would have more room.

Sookie could hear Lafayette's scared thoughts about having to return to the basement that was the cause of so many of his nightmares. She put her arm through his and gave him a smile. "You will be okay, Lafayette. Eric won't hurt you," she said softly to him. Raising her voice, she added, "Right, Eric? If this doesn't work, they are free to go, right?"

"Yes," Eric said after a short pause, "You are free to leave but if you find out anything else you had better," he paused at Sookie's sharp look. "I wish for you to tell me," he finished, politely.

Sookie smiled at him. He was showing remarkable restraint tonight and Sookie was glad he was trying to be polite and not demanding and scary. She thought of a little reward she could give him when they got home. Thinking of what she would do for him made her heartbeat pick up and Eric and Pam suddenly looked over at her hungrily. She smiled sheepishly and Pam looked away but Eric's eyes glazed over with lust for a brief second before he too looked away.

"So should we get started," said Jesus rather impatiently. He was angry about having to be in this place that caused his beloved Lafayette so many bad memories.

"Please do," said Eric stepping back to give them room to do whatever it was witches did. Eric was not fond of witches but if they could help his Pam, he would let them cast their spell.

They drew a circle on the floor with salt and asked Pam to step inside. Then they held hands and began chanting in Latin.

They had both obviously memorized the spell, which made Eric feel like they had tried hard for him. Maybe these friends of Sookie's were not too bad, he thought.

Eric watched Pam intently as their chanting got louder and louder but he saw no change. They stopped chanting and Lafayette unclasped his hand from Jesus' and reached out for Sookie's hand.

"Maybe we need more people," he said, and Sookie started toward him. Eric was conflicted about letting Sookie get involved but he didn't see how any harm could come to her from just holding hands so he did not protest, though he watched her closely.

As they began chanting again, Sookie tried to copy what they were saying but did not have much luck. She was still hopeful that some part of her Fairy-ness would help the spell.

Jesus and Lafayette, too, were hopeful for a successful spell and the subsequent ending of their debt to Eric Northman. As polite as he was being to them, they were still scared to be here and to owe him for their part, however unintentional, in hurting his progeny.

But when they had chanted the entire spell three times with no change in Pam, they decided that it was not working and unclasped hands.

"Thank you for trying gentlemen," said Pam. She walked up to Lafayette and touched his shirt. He visibly stiffened but relaxed when she smiled and said, "I just love this fabric. And the accessories you paired with it really set it apart. These earrings are divine!"

He looked at her blankly for a moment before regaining his ability to speak. "Thank you," he said with obvious surprise in his voice. "You sure you need her to get her memories back?" he added with a laugh. When Eric growled and glared at him he put his hands up. "Okay okay, shit, I was joking," he said, alarmed.

"Well, thank you for your time this evening but it appears to have been wasted. But, if you find out anything else I would be grateful if you will tell me right away," said Eric. He could really be a politician if he wanted to. Now that he had some incentive to behave well toward Sookie's friends, he would turn on the charm, though he really was happy for their help.

"I'll walk you out," said Sookie.

They walked up the basement steps and through the club before Sookie hugged them each goodbye at their car. "Thank you so much for trying to help. Eric is trying not to be scary because I asked him to. But I'm still sorry you had to come here. I know how hard it must have been."

Lafayette smiled and said, "Hooka, I almost fell right the fuck over when he said thank you! You must be working some of that pussy magic!"

Sookie blushed and swatted at his arm. "You hush your dirty mouth!" she said with a smile.

Jesus laughed, "Let's hope your magic keeps working because I have a feeling we'll need it."

"Well, good night fellas. Have a safe drive home," Sookie said. She walked back towards the club as soon as they got into their car. The parking lot was eerily quiet and she should have sensed the void closing quickly on her location but she was distracted by thoughts of Pam and Eric.

"Hello darling," said the voice of the vampire who had grabbed her arm.

Sookie spun around to face him. "Bill," she spat, "Let go of me!"

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**Thanks for reading! As you can tell, sometimes it takes me a while to get a chapter of this story out to you. I apologize for less than weekly updates like I promised but I find this a more difficult story to write than my other one. I struggle to keep the people mostly in character and remember what has already happened by this point on True Blood. So I hope you will forgive me and cut me some slack if the characters or plot don't mesh all that well with what you know from the show. Thanks! :)**


	14. Chapter 14

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Fear! Disgust. Anger.– This is what Eric felt from Sookie through the bond. He was halfway to her sensed location as the anger came through and when he saw why she was angry, he was furious.

"Get your fucking hands off her! _Your majesty_," Eric growled, his fangs down. He stepped out into the parking lot and noticed King Bill's retinue of helmeted soldiers standing guard around their precious King. Only Bill would dare to grab and hold another vampire's bonded one against their will. And hide behind his ass kissing guard.

"Sookie, are you okay?" Eric asked, his concern evident in his voice.

"I'm fine. If this goddamn prick would let me go!"

Eric smirked briefly at the fiery spirit of his lover. She would have been an excellent warrior.

As he stared into the gloating eyes of the King, Eric was contemplating how he would kill each member of the Royal Guard and extract Sookie from Bill's clutches without resorting to killing his monarch. Not that he could not easily overpower the insignificant roach, he just had no aspirations to replace him.

But just as he had fully formulated his plan, Bill released Sookie's arm with a shove towards Eric. He caught her and hugged her tightly to his chest, whispering into her ear, "Are you hurt, my love? Did he hurt you?"

"No, just scared me," murmured Sookie against his cheek.

Eric straightened up and stepped in front of Sookie. "Why are you here?" he spat at Bill.

"Now, now _Sheriff_ Northman. Is that any way to treat your king?" Bill said with false sweetness. He just needed to give up this fake Southern genteel act for good. It was not believable.

"Lose the guard and I will show you how I would treat you," Eric gritted out between clenched teeth.

"You should watch yourself, Sheriff. These are troubling times. The Authority has given me great power over the subjects in my kingdom."

Bill did love to gloat about his power. Eric figured he must be compensating for other shortcomings.

Eric put on his own act and said, "Well, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" It was at times like these that Eric wished Sookie could read his mind. He would tell her to get Pam and leave so that neither were in proximity to Bill.

"You have ignored my last two phone calls. Your insubordination forces me to seek you out and I am not happy about this. I have much better things to do."

"Yes, well, I have been busy," Eric said with a defiant shrug.

Bill eyed Sookie disdainfully, "Yes, I can tell. You have bonded yourself to her? You want to be bonded to this barbarian, Sookie?"

Sookie was angry about being addressed by this asshole and even angrier that he insulted her Viking. She stepped out from behind Eric and fixed Bill with a hostile glare.

"That is none of your fucking business! But since you asked, this vampire is more of a gentleman than you will ever fool yourself into thinking you are. He is a better man than you in _every_ way!"

Eric put his arm protectively and affectionately across her shoulders and pulled her body into his. He kissed her temple briefly, before addressing the sputtering King.

"As you can see, she is very happy with me. It seems she had quite low expectations based on previous experience but now she has raised them accordingly." His mouth quirked up as he spoke.

Bill looked tortured briefly before he shook it off and resumed his pretentious kingly act. "I have come to discuss the witches. I have not heard anything from them since I sent you. I trust your visit went according to plan?"

It was in these instances that Eric's ability to slip his mask into place and appear blank, was his biggest asset. He put on a pleasant smile and lied his ass off. "Of course-" Eric started but he stopped abruptly when a group of raucous fangbangers exited the club.

"Shall we talk in your office?" said Bill, already heading that way.

Eric, who in reality wanted to keep Bill as far away from Fangtasia and Pam as he could, agreed with Bill and widened his fake smile. As he followed Bill, he turned to glance briefly at Sookie and hoped that with his eyes he could convey his pressing need to keep Bill away from Pam.

Sookie understood the urgent look in his eyes and gave a tiny nod of her head as they walked. She hung back as they entered the club and discreetly dropped out of the procession to Eric's office. She went in search of Pam, to tell her to lay low but also to warm her about who Bill is and how to act should he seek her out.

"The King?" Pam asked nervously, "The one who sent us to the witches? Why is he here? What should I do. Oh, shit!"

"Well, don't panic, Pam. You guys don't panic. Just act the way I told you to act and you should be okay. If he asks you something you think you should know but don't, just roll your eyes and act bored. That should probably do it. And then Eric will jump in I suppose. Eric won't leave you alone. Don't worry."

Just then, Eric came out to the corner of the club where Sookie and Pam were, followed closely by Bill. The look on Eric's face was one of perfect calm but there was a storm brewing behind his eyes. Sookie was instantly on alert.

"Pam," he said with forced control, "Our King would like to hear from you about our interaction with the witches. I already told him there is _nothing_ to tell. It all went very smoothly, just like I said."

Pam looked at her bright red fingernails and then up at Bill in a perfect play of boredom. "Exactly," she sighed, "Nothing else to say, really."

Bill looked at her for a moment longer as if scrutinizing her face for any evidence of lying. When he was satisfied he stepped back and smiled. It was a wide smile, meant to look gracious and kind, but he only succeeded in looking smarmy.

"Very well," he drawled, "I will take my leave. Should I hear anything else about the witches, I will be back in touch."

Sookie breathed a sigh of relief as Bill and his guard left Fangtasia. Bill creeped her out and she hated to be around him. She wondered again just how he got to be King in the first place. It just did not fit that he would attack and kill the Queen– either that he would aspire to overthrow her, or that he was actually successful.

Pam threw her arms around Sookie as soon as Bill left. "Thank you, Sookie. Your advice was perfect!"

"I'm glad Pam and you did real good but you can't hug me here!" said Sookie disentangling herself from Pam's tight embrace.

Amelia, who had been sitting at a nearby table sipping her drink, walked up to Pam.

"I couldn't help but overhear part of your conversation. Well, really, the word witch caught my ear. I'm a witch. Were you having some problems with some?"

Eric was immediately in her face growling. Amelia shrank back and Pam put an arm around her protectively.

"You are a witch? What do you know of the witches who gather at Moongoddess Emporium?" Eric said gruffly.

"Moongoddess? Um, not much," Amelia said in a squeaky voice.

Sookie put a hand on Eric's arm. "She's telling the truth, Eric. You're scaring her."

Eric relaxed his menacing posture and invited Amelia into his office to talk.

Amelia looked to Pam, who nodded. "He won't hurt you," said Pam, "Let's just go talk."

Once in his office, Eric resumed his questioning of Amelia, this time in a more polite way. Having established that she was truthful and that her concern was for Pam, he decided he could treat her kindly, which is the way Sookie wished for him to behave.

"So, you know nothing of these witches from Moongoddess?" he asked, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

"Well, I know the place, of course. I know it is owned by a witch named Marnie but as far as I know, she is a very nice woman and she's pretty harmless. Can I ask what happened with them?" Amelia inquired, relaxing a bit as the vampires did.

"They were practicing necromancy, which, I'm sure you know is dangerous for vampires. We need to make sure they have ceased their explorations into this dangerous territory. If you know anything about this, it would be wise for you to say so now," said Eric, purposely avoiding the more pressing topic of Pam's curse and resultant amnesia. He was not sure if he should trust Amelia and he did not get through more than a millennium by telling his business to just anyone.

"Necromancy!" said Amelia, looking alarmed, "Why on earth would they be practicing that? That's crazy!" She looked around the room at the serious faces of the others and had a suspicion that something else was going on too. But given the big vampire's earlier scary behavior she was reluctant to ask anymore questions.

"Yes, well, if you find out anything further, please," said Eric with a small glance at Sookie, "let us know immediately. Let me give you my contact information." He stood up and handed her a card but instead of taking it, Amelia looked at Pam.

"I'd rather have her contact information," she said with a smile for Pam.

Pam looked flustered for a second because she, herself, did not know her contact information but Eric rescued her by writing her number quickly on the back of his card and holding it out again to Amelia.

"Now you have both," he said, "And if you'll excuse us, we must take our leave."

They all stood up to leave and Eric and Sookie gave Pam some privacy to say goodbye. Well, Sookie did since she valued privacy. She had to drag Eric down the hallway because he did not see the point in pretending that Pam and Amelia would not be kissing and fondling each other no matter if he was looking on or not.

"Not the point, Eric!" Sookie whisper yelled, "Some things are private."

"Like this," Eric said as he placed his fingers on the zipper of Sookie's dress and began to slowly draw it down.

"Eric!" Sookie chided, trying unsuccessfully to smack his hand away, "Yes! Like that! Stop it!"

Eric gave her a lopsided smile before dipping his head to kiss from her ear, down her neck, to the swells of her breasts. Even though Eric's large body was mostly blocking her body from view, Sookie was still embarrassed about being touched like that in public. She was about to push him back but his lips on her neck sent a shock wave down her body and she felt her knees weaken as his cool lips blazed a trail of heat across her breasts. A small moan left her mouth, giving Eric the encouragement to further tease her by firmly kneading her breasts and grinding his body against hers.

"Eric!" she gasped as she felt his erection rocking into her abdomen, "Eric, stop. Not here."

Eric took a reluctant step back, his eyes wild and dark. "Where? My office -"

"No, Eric. At home. I need to go home. I have to work tomorrow."

Eric sighed unnecessarily, upset that she would not be staying the night. He had gotten used to having her in his house, in his bed, and by his side when he rose for the night. But he knew she still had her own life and he would reluctantly let her get back to it.

"Very well," he said, "I will drop Pam off and then bring you to your house. Though I will miss you, lover," he purred, dropping his voice an octave at the end.

"Oh, Eric, I will miss you too, sweetheart. I work the lunch shift so I'll be done early and then I can drive to your house and stay the night if you want."

"I want," he said in that same deep voice, looking at her intently.

"I know what you want," she said as she grasped his belt and pulled him closer.

"Yes," he whispered as his mouth hovered over hers, his cool breath fanning her lips. She stretched to close the short distance between them and softly placed her lips onto his.

His chest rumbled and his eyes closed as he took in everything about this small moment in time. Sometimes it was still hard for him to believe that she was finally his and as he reveled in her sweet lips, her sunny scent, and her soft body, he thought how grateful he was that she wanted him at last.

When he opened his eyes, he looked at her with such devotion and adoration that she felt her heart speed up as butterflies invaded her stomach.

"What?" she asked softly with a shy smile. She still thought it astounding how Eric was capable of such depth of emotion and that he fooled himself and others into thinking differently.

"I love you, Sookie. Sometimes I find it hard to believe, I find you hard to believe. I love you so much more than I know how to say."

"So take me home and you can show me," murmured Sookie, stretching up to kiss him once again.

"Yes," he whispered as he put his hands on her back to pull her closer. He slanted his mouth over hers and softly licked at her lips so she would open for him. It was of course at that instant that Pam was finished with her goodbye to Amelia and came around the corner.

When Sookie saw her standing there she immediately stopped kissing Eric but it took him a little longer to switch gears.

Soon they were all piled into Eric's car heading to his house to drop Pam off.

"What did Bill say to you in your office, Eric?" asked Sookie.

Eric growled at the memory of Bill. "He had a spy among the witches and she heard from a member of the coven that something happened when Pam and I went to tell the witches to stop meeting. This person told Bill's spy that they thought something happened to the female vampire- Pam. So Bill was coming to check it out and see if anything was amiss. I, of course, assured him that his spy was mistaken and that Pam was very much unharmed. I hope that he will not bother us again but I am anxious to get this taken care of because I am not certain of what Bill would do if he found out. His power seems to have overinflated his ego. He certainly loves the feel of his crown," Eric smirked.

"Fucking asshole," muttered Sookie, which brought a boisterous laugh from Eric. He was so used to Sookie defending Bill, and hearing her disdain for him now, brought him great happiness.

When the car pulled into Eric's garage, he told Sookie to stay inside while he brought Pam into the house. He quickly warmed some bagged blood for her, turned on the tv, and then left her with a command to stay put.

As soon as Eric had returned to the car, he pulled Sookie into his arms and kissed her softly before starting his drive to her house.

"Hey Eric," Sookie said, putting her hand on his leg, "Thank you for being nice to my friends. I know you didn't have to and I could tell it wasn't always easy, but I appreciate it."

The happiness that came through the bond felt, to him, like Sookie had run light fingers up and down his entire body and he shivered and grinned at her.

Sookie smiled at him. "What was that?" she asked.

"You," he said, "Your happiness. It feels like a lover's caress to me."

"Really? I would love to feel your happiness like that."

"Once we complete the bond, you will be able to feel me just like I can feel you," he explained. Eric was eager to complete their bond but he knew they had more to discuss before they could. He needed to make sure Sookie understood everything about it because he did not want her to regret bonding herself to him for the rest of her life.

"Mmm, that will be nice," she said dreamily.

"Sookie?" Eric asked.

"Yeah?"

"I cannot always be nice," he said softly. She needed to understand that his nature would not always allow for niceties and friendly conversations.

"I know. You're a vampire and a leader. I know there will be times when you have to be ruthless. I may not like it or want to see it but I think I understand. It's okay," she said, rubbing his leg.

"You amaze me, lover," he said, caressing her cheek with his knuckles.

She closed her eyes at the feel of his hand softly touching her.

"Sookie" Eric whispered several minutes later, when he pulled into the driveway of her farmhouse.

"Hmmm?" she said, opening her eyes, "Oh! Did I fall asleep?"

"Yes, it is late for you. I don't have to come in if you want to go to bed."

"No, no! Come in with me. Please."

"I would love to," he grinned, pleased by her decision.

Once they were in Sookie's bedroom, Sookie started to take off her dress but Eric stopped her.

"Let me," he said as he slowly lowered the zipper on the front of the dress, "I've been wanting to do this all night." His chest vibrated with pleasure as he exposed Sookie's bountiful body to his lustful eyes. "Fucking beautiful," he growled as he got to the bottom of the dress and pushed it from her shoulders. As it fell into a pile at their feet, he quickly unhooked her bra and ripped off her panties, leaving her completely bare save for her high heeled shoes.

"Your turn," Sookie whispered as she lifted his shirt. He obliged her and took it off. Sookie reached for his belt, unbuckling it as she kissed his newly uncovered chest and stomach. Before she unzipped his pants, she rubbed his erection through the fabric and his eyes rolled back as she squeezed him firmly. His stomach clenched and she smiled at him and traced her tongue along the defined muscles of his abdomen.

"You are fucking beautiful," she whispered to him as she grabbed hold of his hard length and pulled him out of his jeans. She stroked him slowly as she let her lips brush lightly over all of the cool skin on his chest and belly.

"Sookie..." he groaned as his fangs dropped. He wanted to tackle her to the bed or push her up against the wall but he stood patiently, letting her touch and tease him. When her hot mouth closed over his aching length and he felt her desire peak suddenly, his hips bucked wildly causing her to back up quickly. "Sorry. I'm sorry," he said, "I did not mean to do that."

She smiled at him. "Sit down, eager beaver," she laughed as she led him to sit on her bed.

"Eager beaver?" he said with his eyebrows drawn, "Because I have long teeth as well?"

"No silly. It just rhymes. Sorta. I don't know, it's just one of those sayings. I just mean you are eager for my mouth on you. But you can't gag me so control yourself, okay?"

"Yes. I am sorry. I was surprised but it will not happen again," he said feeling ashamed that he might have hurt her. He was not used to the dual sensations of their lust swirling through him and he let it overwhelm him briefly.

Sookie knelt in front of him and tugged his jeans down further until he kicked them off. He opened his legs and she crawled between them, taking him in hand once again. This time when she sucked him into her mouth, he was ready for it and he stayed still except for the flexing of his ass and clenching of his stomach muscles.

"Lover," he purred, watching the top of her head bob up and down on his cock. He could see the round globes of her ass and her shapely legs made even sexier by her high heeled shoes still on her feet. He felt her tongue swirling along his swollen head and he cursed in Old Norse as he brought his fingers into her hair. He loved the silky feel of her hair as it slipped through his fingers. As her mouth and hand kept working over him, his fingers tightened until he had a fistful of her hair. He was careful not to pull too hard but when she let her teeth scrape lightly up the length of his shaft, he briefly lost control again and tugged her head back by her hair but then immediately let go.

"Hey," Sookie tried to say but since her mouth was very full it sounded more like, "Hmm," and the vibration on his cock made his head fall back and his eyes roll. Since she did not stop what she was doing, he figured she was okay.

"The teeth, Sookie. Do it again," he groaned. He was close and he knew if she dragged her teeth on him again, he was going to cum hard.

She lifted her mouth off of him and smiled. "Okay," she said, "But lie back and hands off, Cowboy."

"Sorry," he whispered once again. He had not apologized this much since...ever. He was not usually the type to apologize but he was not usually the type to do many of the things he had done since meeting Sookie.

He lay back and took one of her pillows to grip instead of her hair. She brought her mouth down swiftly onto him again and he hissed at the sensation. She tightened her hand on his length and squeezed firmly as she stroked him. She flicked her tongue along the ridge of his head, focusing on the very sensitive underside.

Eric was lost in the sensations of her soft warm mouth and firm hand along with the happiness and desire coming over the bond from Sookie. It was almost completely overwhelming and as he tossed his head back on her bed, he felt her teeth again and was undone by everything he was feeling both inside and out.

He climaxed with a loud growl and several loud grunts as she sucked steadily on the head of his cock, taking all that he gave her.

When his body stopped spasming, Sookie climbed up on the bed to lay her head on his chest.

"That was different," she said, lightly caressing his stomach, "Were you having a hard time controlling yourself?"

"I am not used to feeling you inside me, your desire and your arousal, while I also feel your hands and mouth on me. It was...startling... but spectacular," he said with awe in his voice.

"So, it was good?"

"It was much more than good, lover. I can only imagine sex with you when our bond is complete. That will be so much more powerful."

"Eric..." Sookie said, lifting her head to look in his eyes, "Make love to me. Drink from me and I'll drink from you."

The look on Eric's face was pure love, his eyes were alight with happiness.

"Yes," he whispered.

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**So, Bill's visit was not as bad as some of you were thinking! I don't know what would happen to Eric or Bill if Bill had the audacity to kidnap Sookie. Shit would hit the fan! I think King Bill thinks too highly of himself to stoop that low, though. He thinks he is magnanimous and righteous so unless he can find a way to justify it, I don't think he would do that to Sookie...unless he had some blood from an ancient vampiress...then all bets are off! :)**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing! I appreciate every alert and especially every review! They motivate me to write, especially this story because my muse has been reclusive as of late.**


	15. Chapter 15

**You guys really really want Bill to die! Some of your reviews are so funny with their Bill hate. I can't stand that character either and I am trying to plan his end in this story.**

**I have had a fever for two days now so this chapter may seem a little short and who even knows if it will make sense! I hope so! If you read Northman's Nanny, you will know that my husband is to blame for my illness and now he's perfectly fine and I'm miserable! Not fair!**

**Thank you for reading!**

**This starts right where the last chapter left off. Sookie just asked Eric to make love to her.**

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Eric rolled over on top of Sookie, careful to keep most of his weight off of her.

"This will be the second of three blood exchanges to complete the bond. Are you sure, Sookie? I am not sure what will happen after this exchange. Typically it takes three exchanges before you would feel me but you, my lovely telepath, are anything but typical."

She smiled at him as he loomed above her. She reached her hand up to cup his cheek and stroked his face with her thumb.

"I love you, Eric. I am sure. How should we do this?"

"Do you want to bite me again?" said Eric with a look of desire on his beautiful face.

"You liked that, didn't you?" Sookie remembered how excited he was when she bit him, how he had roared loudly and moved his hips so fast. He definitely more than liked it.

"Yes, but I can also pierce my own skin if you would rather. Either way it feels good. Let me be inside you though, because I will climax-"

"It feels that good?" Sookie interrupted, turning pink.

"Yes, it feels _that_ good," said Eric in a teasing tone, sensing her embarrassment.

"Did you, um, did you...climax, in Dallas when I sucked the bullets from you?"

Eric smirked. "I would have," he said, "Given a few more pulls from your beautiful mouth."

"Oh." Sookie was embarrassed to think what he would have done in a room full of people. But she supposed that since Eric had never shown any amount of shame over physical pleasure, he would not have cared one way or the other. In fact, he was probably disappointed he had not climaxed, fully clothed and in the middle of a chaotic room.

"Now," said Eric with a husky voice, "Shall I make love to you?"

His look ignited a fire inside Sookie and she suddenly had the urge to take control. She pushed at Eric's chest. "Up," she said, "Get up."

Eric looked surprised and momentarily upset as he sat up. But when Sookie moved up the bed and asked him to sit against the headboard, his face lit up.

Sookie straddled his hips, trapping his erection between their bodies. Eric looked at her in confusion because of where she was sitting.

"I know. Just wait a minute, okay?"

"Yes."

"I just want to ask you something. The last exchange...what will that mean? I will feel you too but what else?"

"The last exchange means we will have a permanent bond."

"Permanent? As in till death do you part?"

"Yes. But unlike a human marriage, it can not simply be undone. There is no divorce. It is sacred and unchangeable."

"And you want this?"

"With everything that I am, Sookie Stackhouse. With all that I have."

"Oh Eric," she breathed as she brought her lips forward to rest on top of his. "I love you," she murmured against his mouth.

"And I love you," he purred. He cupped her face in both of his large hands and parted his lips to capture hers.

As their kiss deepened to include their dueling tongues, Sookie reached between them to grasp his erection. She lifted her hips and guided him to her center before lowering herself slowly onto him. Their lips stayed locked together as their bodies joined and as Sookie sank completely onto Eric's hard length, their mouths fell open as shuddering breath escaped them.

Sookie enjoyed the scent of Eric's sweet breath as it fanned over her face. She loved every part of him that carried his scent—his breath, his skin, his hair, his arousal. They were all enticing and intoxicating.

Sookie began to roll her hips against Eric's body as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. His cool chest was pressed against her hot skin, her nipples pebbling as his skin brushed against them. Eric's hands moved lightly over Sookie's back and butt in a continuous motion. Sookie enjoyed the way he always seemed to need to touch her. His hands were never still.

She reached for his wrists and brought his hands around from her back and placed them on her breasts. With her hands over his, she firmly massaged until he took over with a growl. She arched her back, pushing her breasts into his artful touch. He lowered his head to bring one aching nipple into his cool mouth. He sucked and laved it with his tongue as Sookie twined her fingers in his hair, pushing and holding his mouth to her heated skin.

His mouth, though cool, seared her flesh causing her to cry out and move her hips against his even faster.

"Sookie," Eric whispered against her chest. "Sookie, bite me. Please. Bite me now."

He looked up at her with such longing, such fevered desire, that her heart stuttered in her chest. She could deny him nothing.

She pushed her body up against his once more and put her face against his neck. His clean heady scent filled her and she felt compelled to lick his smooth skin just like he did before he bit. He shuddered underneath her and tilted his head. She could not help but smile at this role reversal. Her smile turned into soft giggles and Eric pulled back from her to look into her face.

"Something is funny, my lover?"

"No, it's just that, this is usually what I do," she said, gesturing to his tilted head and bared neck, "And I'm behaving like you."

"Yes," he said. "But sex with me is not usually funny."

"Aww, sweetheart, did I hurt your feelings?," said Sookie with a big smile, still amused, "I'm sorry."

Eric smiled. "I do not think that you are," he said, "But you will be."

Before Sookie had time to process his words, Eric had lifted her off of him, laid her down and had his face between her legs, relentlessly moving his tongue over her. Sookie squealed and bucked, both at the surprise of it and the onslaught of his mouth on her sensitive flesh.

"Eric!" she cried, "Stop!"

Eric felt her lust still rising in the bond so he lifted his head to clarify, since what she said and what he felt from her were different. "What do you want Sookie? Shall I stop?"

"No!" she said quickly, "Don't stop!"

Eric smiled and resumed his attentions on her body, moving his tongue over her faster and faster until she was a panting, sweaty heap on the bed. Only when he felt her complete satisfaction in the bond, did he stop and move up her body.

"Mmm," his chest rumbled, "I like you sweaty and worn out because of me."

He rolled her to her side and pressed his body up to hers from behind. Sookie sighed and moved closer to him. His coolness made her fevered skin feel better and she reached back to pull his face to hers. Eric bent his head at Sookie's insistence and laid his cheek against hers. He reached down to part her legs and slid himself inside of her slowly.

He made torturously slow love to her, moving almost all the way out and just as far in on every stroke. His lips never left her body the whole time. They moved softly over her cheek and whispered over her neck, making her shiver.

When he could no longer hold back and he felt that she had only a small shred of control left, he swiftly moved them so that Sookie was straddling him once more.

Sookie understood what he wanted and as his face went to her neck, she brought her lips to his. She felt him glide his nose along her neck and shoulder, inhaling deeply. He licked her pulse point and a small moan left his mouth. She heard his fangs snick out and readied herself for his bite as she moved her body, grinding against him. He groaned and then his fangs pierced her skin. As he drank, she stretched her neck and bit him hard, drinking in his rich blood.

As if a circuit had been completed, they were both spurred on to an enormously intense finish. Sookie's hands began to glow where they rested on Eric's shoulders and she was momentarily frightened until she noticed that he had quite the opposite reaction than she feared. His pleasure seemed to be intensifying as evidenced by his heavy lidded eyes and tightening muscles. His skin was glowing bright and he seemed to be losing himself to a frenzy of euphoric bliss.

"Sookie!" he said between his clenched teeth. No part of him seemed to be under his control. It was as if an electrical current was running through him causing his muscles to spasm uncontrollably and if he had a working heart he would have been in cardiac arrest. He felt like every nerve ending in his body was on fire and every millimeter of his skin was being stroked by Sookie. He was in agony and ecstasy all at once. He had never felt anything like it. He needed it to stop but he wanted it to continue forever.

Finally, he managed to tell Sookie that is was too much and she removed her hands from his body. He collapsed against the headboard and for a second he could not move. Was this what bonding to a fairy was like? She completely overpowered him in the best way possible. Still he was not used to feeling helpless, however pleasurable the experience.

"Oh my gosh, Eric!" said Sookie, climbing off of him. "I don't know how I did that to you. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

He smiled, though his eyes were still closed. "Only a little," he said, sounding somewhat dazed.

"But you're okay?"

"More than. But what the fuck did you do to me, lover? Your light...?"

"I think so. I had no idea I could do that. It's never happened before."

"Then hopefully your fairy cousin will come to you soon. She said she would come when you went home, did she not?"

"She did say that. Maybe I'll see her soon. I have to go to sleep now, Eric. It's late and I work tomorrow. Will you stay until I fall asleep?"

Sookie got up to retrieve some pajamas as Eric settled into her bed. She took care of her bathroom needs and then joined him, scooting up to him as closely as she could.

"I love you," she said as she kissed his chin.

"And I love you," said Eric, looking down at her with adoring eyes. He ran his fingertips across her bare shoulder and down her arm before taking her hand in his.

For a second Sookie thought she felt an echoing sentiment to her own but she was quickly asleep before she could analyze it.

Eric took his leave and drove back home to Pam. He was still going over their evening in his mind, especially the intense ending. He was so distracted, that it was not until he reached his house that he noticed the ache that always plagued his chest in Sookie's absence had grown considerably and was almost unbearable. Another side effect of bonding with a fairy or was this just a normal part of bonding, he did not know. He had to work hard to tamp down the unwelcome longing and deep ache because his strong desire was to fly right back to Sookie's house and bring her home with him. He knew she had to work and hopefully meet her cousin so he regretfully ignored his desire and went to his rest alone after doing his area's work.

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Sookie awoke the next morning to the feeling of being watched. She sat up in bed and quickly scanned her room, only to find Claudine standing next to her door.

"Claudine! You scared me!"

"I apologize, Sookie. I felt that you were back home and wanted to start on your lessons. Do you have time today?"

Sookie looked at the clock to see that she had two hours until she had to be at work for the lunch shift. "I don't have a whole lot of time now. I have to work today. But can I ask you something? Something happened last night..."

"Sure! Ask me what you wish."

"Thanks. Last night when I was with Eric...when we were..." Sookie blushed furiously, trying to finish her sentence.

"When you were making love?" asked Claudine. Fairies had no shame about the pleasures of sex either, which was something Sookie was still getting used to.

"Yes. Well, when we, um, finished, my hands started glowing and..." Sookie trailed off, not knowing exactly how to word what happened.

"And brought immeasurable pleasure to your bonded mate?"

"Well, yeah."

"Sookie, do not be embarrassed about what you can do with your light. A fairy's light does not only bring destruction. The light is more like an energy that will obey the intentions of its master—you. The light can destroy or heal or bring great pleasure. You will learn to control what you bring about. I will help you with that. What happened between you and the vampire was because you are bonded. Your light will always seek to bring him pleasure and happiness. You would have to concentrate very hard to bring him pain."

"So, I could have hurt him? At first, I was scared that I was, but then he...wasn't in pain." Sookie blushed again thinking how much he was definitely not in pain.

"No, you can not unintentionally hurt him once you are bonded. It would take a great deal of effort. But that is one of the things you should practice with him. You should try to hurt him so that you may learn how to control that part of your light."

"What? I don't want to hurt him! Can't I just blast the trees or something?"

"Sookie, I will show you how to manifest your light when you want it and how to control its strength. How was the vampire after he was pleasured by your light?"

Sookie smiled through her blush. "Worn out. He was dazed, though he recovered quickly. He had to tell me to stop."

"See, you are powerful and you will learn to control that power so that you can give him a little wave of bliss or a full on attack of rapturous madness. You will be able to send forth destructive light that you know will only stun him. When do you wish to begin your lessons? Tonight will you be back home as well?"

"I'm supposed to go to Eric's house when I get off work. But I could ask him to meet me here or tell him I'll be later. Do you want him here too?"

"For the first time, no. Let me help you to control it better before you practice with him. We could work for a short while tonight and then you could go to your vampire, yes?"

"That sounds great! Thanks so much, Claudine!"

"I will see you tonight, little one," she said and then she was gone.

Sookie got up and took a shower before making herself some breakfast. Soon she was on her way to Merlotte's.

She walked past Sam's office to put her things away and he called her inside to talk.

He did not look happy and Sookie braced herself for what was coming. No doubt some criticism of Eric and her relationship to him.

"Sookie," he began, "What are you doing with Eric? He's dangerous. Didn't you learn your lesson with Bill?"

"Sam, it's really none of your business is it? Who I am with is my business and mine alone!"

Sam came around to the front of his desk and reached for Sookie. He suddenly stiffened and took a step back from her.

"You smell like him. Sookie, you didn't bond with him did you?"

"So what if I did! How is that any of your concern?" Sookie was sick of everyone's concern for her translating into them wanting to control her life.

"I just worry about you! Can you blame me?"

"Yes, well, don't! I can take care of myself," Sookie said before turning and quickly leaving Sam's office to start her shift.

She said hi to Terry and to Lafayette, who gave her a wink, and went to scan her station for any waiting customers. Because it was the very beginning of the lunch rush, she had a few minutes to relax.

"Hey, Sookie," Lafayette called to her.

"Hi, do you have an order ready?"

"No, listen girl, I was talkin' to Holly, the new waitress, she was at the witches' meeting too, ya know?"

"Geez! Was everyone there?" Sookie asked incredulously.

"Right? Well, anyway, me and Jesus was talkin' to her about what she might now and she agreed to try to help fix Pam with us."

"Oh, really? We found another witch that wants to help also. I mean, seriously, how are there so many witches around here and I never knew anything about them?"

"Girl, you tellin' me! Some crazy shit happens in this place!"

They both laughed at his undeniably true statement. Sookie agreed to ask Eric when they could try again for Pam. Lafayette said that Jesus was going to try to talk to Marnie so they decided to wait at least another day to get together.

The lunch shift went by quickly once the rush hit and Sookie had no more time to think about witches or her fairy light or anything but serving her customers and keeping them happy. She forcibly shut out the disturbing thought of others and tried not to look at Sam so she would not see his disappointed looks. By the time her shift was done, Sookie was exhausted mentally and physically.

As she returned home, she noticed Claudine sitting on her porch and she groaned, thinking about how tired she was and how she was not in the mood to practice anything right then.

Claudine noticed her exhaustion and went up to Sookie and gave her a big hug. Sookie could see and feel Claudine's light entering her body and she felt immediately more energetic and happy.

"Shall we begin?" said Claudine, stepping back from Sookie's embrace.


	16. Chapter 16

"Let me go inside and call Eric while I change my clothes, Claudine. Do you want to come in?" Sookie asked even though Claudine could apparently pop in and out of her house whenever she wanted to.

"I will wait out here. Take your time," said Claudine with a smile.

Sookie went in and changed quickly into yoga pants and a t-shirt and then called Eric.

"Are you on your way, lover?" he said by way of greeting. His voice was eager and Sookie hated to disappoint him but she knew he would understand that she had a good reason for staying home for now.

"Claudine is here to train me, Eric. We are going to work for a little while and then I'll be over, alright?"

"Alright," he said but Sookie could practically hear the pout in his voice and it put a smile on her face to know that he missed her that much after only one night apart.

"Claudine had some very interesting things to tell me about my Fairy light today, some very interesting things that I think you will like very much," Sookie told him to placate him.

"Tease," he muttered, sounding adorably frustrated.

Sookie laughed. "I love you. I'll see you soon!"

"Yes, I love you," he said before hanging up. He did not have the best phone manners, he never said good-bye, but he did pretty well that time.

Sookie shook her head as she hung up the phone. Eric Northman, Viking Vampire God, missed her. He could not do without her. That was an exhilarating thought. But the fact was, she could not do without him either. She missed him just as much. Sookie resolved to kick ass at her fairy training so she could get back to Eric faster. She grabbed two bottles of water on her way outside.

"Are you ready?" asked Claudine as soon as she saw Sookie.

Sookie nodded. "I am!" she said fiercely.

"That's the spirit! Let's get started! We'll start by holding hands because it will make it easier for you to call forth your light if we are touching. Fairies reinforce each other by touch. We are stronger together. We are also always happiest together. Now that you have bonded, that will be the case with your vampire. You will be at your best with him by your side. Proximity helps but touch amplifies your abilities."

"But Eric says we are not fully bonded. All these things still apply?"

"You are not fully bonded by vampire magic but your fairy nature makes bonding different. Your body recognizes him as your mate even now. And your bond within him calls him to you. He will be...distressed without you."

"So, will I have to live with him? To always be next to him? That sounds a bit crazy. I didn't sign up for that! I don't think Eric's gonna like that either!"

"He—both of you— will get used to the bond, to the strong feelings. You are adept at shielding yourself, yes? And he knows how to close and open a bond to both send and receive emotions, or not. It will be a bit like that. You can work on pushing away those feelings that tell you to be near each other...but the further your distance and the longer you have been apart, the harder it will be to tamp down the longing. You will need regular contact and intimacy to feel complete."

Sookie just stared at Claudine, at a loss for what to say. She knew bonding to Eric would mean their feelings would deepen but she never assumed she would need him so much or he, her. She hadn't really thought all that much about it, she realized. She loved him and was eager for a bond to connect them but she did not think about much more of a future than that. She did not assume she'd live with Eric— at least not yet. She wasn't sure if Eric would want to live with her. He seemed to love her company and cherish her closeness but living with her was a whole different thing. Did vampires even live with humans? Jessica and Hoyt did but Jessica was young and Eric certainly was not. Sookie was suddenly nervous that Eric would resent bonding himself to a fairy and the way their bond made them need each other. She did not think Eric Northman liked to need things, or people.

"All will be well, Sookie. He loves you. He chose you. Have faith in that, in him."

Claudine's words comforted Sookie but she was surprised that a fairy would defend a vampire.

"Why are you being so nice to him? He's a vampire."

"Ah, but he is a vampire with great love for you. I have seen it in his eyes as he spoke of you. He is a vampire of great honor and control. His name is well known among most of the supernaturals. He has earned the respect of many, and not just in this little corner of the world."

"Wow, really? He doesn't talk about himself like that." Sookie was duly impressed. She knew Eric always commanded respect but she did not know that his reputation was so far reaching or impressive.

"Of course not. He prefers a simple life. As simple as can be for a thousand-year-old vampire."

"Which is not very simple," Sookie added. She preferred a simple life too, but that was never going to happen so she had to learn to embrace the abnormal. But what was abnormal could also be called exceptional, extraordinary, remarkable— this is how Eric thought and what he wanted her to believe. That she was not a freak, she was special. 'Don't underestimate yourself,' he had told her once. When she remembered things like that, it always made her just a little more angry at Bill for so poisoning her against Eric.

"No, not simple," said Claudine, ending Sookie's musings. "Shall we begin?"

Claudine held Sookie's hand again and faced the same way as her. She held out her other hand, palm up, and Sookie did the same.

"Now, there is a feeling deep in your chest that you must find and concentrate on. It is your spark, always humming inside you, though you may not notice it. You must be still and find it in yourself. It will be like a warm buzz that becomes more insistent the more you feel for it."

Sookie did as Claudine instructed and closed her eyes to see what she could feel. It was strange, and she was not sure she felt anything at all. She stayed silent and her mind drifted to thoughts of Eric. She could picture him precisely in her mind and as she did so, she felt a warmth spread through her chest. She grabbed onto that feeling and as she did so, it became a flame, hot and insistent. She could feel it humming with life inside her.

"I feel it!" she said, her face splitting into a huge smile.

"Good! Now push it down from your middle and out to your hand. You will manifest a ball of light, that you can hold and eventually cast forth."

Sookie concentrated on producing the light in her hand. She felt for the flame and she directed her attention to move it from her chest to her arm and then to her hand. A small spark of light erupted in her hand and she shrieked in delight.

"Look! I did it!" she said, sounding much like a child who had just ridden her bike for the first time.

Claudine smiled at her enthusiasm. "I knew you would learn quickly. You always were a bright young thing. Now hold it and think about making it bigger. Think about drawing more energy down your arm. Picture it glowing brighter in your hand... Good!"

Sookie's globe of light was about the size of a large orange and glowing brightly.

"Now what?" Sookie asked.

"Now you decide what kind of force you want to create. Let us focus on destruction for now since we have no one to heal and your vampire is not here to pleasure. You will want to picture in your mind where you want your energy to go and what you want it to do. Focus on that pile of wood," she said, pointing. "See if you can scatter the pieces. Ready?"

Sookie nodded and moved to aim her hand at the wood pile. She thought about making the pile crumble and as she did, she felt the light in her hand grow in size and intensity. "It feels like my hand is vibrating!" she said.

"Excellent, now picture the light leaving your hand and traveling to the wood, leveling the pile."

Sookie did as she was instructed and she felt the light spark more strongly but try as she might, she could not get it to leave her hand.

"I can't," she said, shoulders sagging. She held on to her light but it was starting to shrink back down in size.

"Okay. We will try something else...is there someone at whom you would love to unleash your destructive light? Someone who has angered you? The vampire that came through to our realm perhaps? Should we imagine you hurling fire at him?" Claudine winked.

Sookie grinned with narrowed eyes. "Bill! Yes! Man, I would love to hurt him back!"

They both laughed as they concentrated once more. Sookie's light grew once again.

"Picture Bill over by the wood pile. Picture him and tap into the anger you feel for him. Imagine your light bursting forth and flowing into him, knocking him back, knocking him to the ground."

Sookie imagined just that and as soon as she felt her anger for him swell within her, the light flew from her hand and blasted the pile of wood into rubble.

"That was fuckin' awesome!" she yelled with her fists in the air. "_I_ did that! On purpose!" She grinned and jumped on Claudine, giving her a giant hug.

Claudine laughed and hugged her cousin back. "You are amazing, Sookie. You learn incredibly fast! Can you do it again?"

Sookie felt for her light inside and held it in her hand, she thought about her anger at Bill and blasted a log on the ground, which broke into a few pieces when her energy hit it.

"Good, you are getting faster at calling forth your light. Now try it without holding my hand."

Claudine stepped back and Sookie felt for her light energy. It felt more distant to her but she could find it. She concentrated on it and she felt the heat and the buzz magnify. She deepened her awareness of the light and focused on drawing it into her hand and a tiny spark soon turned into a ball of light as she watched. She smiled triumphantly.

"Yes! Now picture where you want to unleash it and do it!" coached Claudine.

Sookie imagined Bill again. She saw him standing in front of her and she focused her mind on blasting him to the ground. She called forth her light and let it go, aiming right at his chest. A great ball of light flew from her hand and hit its intended target square on.

"Sookie!" he shrieked.

Wait. That wasn't right. Her imagined Bill should not be screaming. He also should not be writhing on the ground fifty feet from where he was previously standing.

"Bill!" Sookie yelled, running towards him. She stopped abruptly. She was running to him out of some unconscious instinct but she realized that she no longer owed him anything. She did not even like him. Who cares if she hurt him. She had wanted to hurt him! She was imagining just that. Still, she walked toward him to see what exactly had happened. As she walked, she looked back to see that Claudine was nowhere to be found. Smart. She did not want to be drained by this lesser vampire. He had nowhere near the self-control of Eric.

As she approached Bill, his guards rapidly surrounded her and she felt her heart beating wildly in her chest.

Bill waved them off, much to her relief. "Leave her," he commanded, propping himself up on his elbows. He slowly staggered to his feet and regarded Sookie coolly.

Sookie stood tall and proud, though she was slightly nervous to be with Bill without the back-up of Eric's thousand years.

"So," started Bill, "You are getting stronger. I knew you had potential, little Fairy." He smiled at her and walked closer to her, though slowly.

"Can it Bill! You can call me Sookie...or Sookeh, since you can never say my name right." Sookie turned and started back toward her house but Bill's hand on her arm stopped her.

"Stay and talk with me, darling. Eric is not around; we can have a conversation. Just us," he pleaded.

_Pathetic_, thought Sookie. "Bill, the reason I don't want to talk to you is the same whether Eric is here or not. I hate you. I despise you. You betrayed me, what could I possibly have to speak with you about? Now let me go before I fucking blast you into the ground where you belong!"

Sookie struggled to get away from Bill but he would not relinquish his hold on her arm. As she looked at him and noticed his eyes glazing over, she was hit with a terrifying realization. She smelled like pure fairy! Bill was enthralled with her scent and he was losing control of himself.

This is not where Sookie wanted to be. This was dangerous and there was no telling what Bill might do. Especially considering his track record with losing control and taking advantage of Sookie. Sookie had a sudden flashback to being in the back of Alcide's van with a similarly crazed Bill and she began to tremble.

"Bill!" she pleaded, forgetting about her newly acquired defense. "Bill, get ahold of yourself! Bill!" she screamed.

Just then Claudine popped back into the yard and Bill's focus shifted immediately to her. "Let her go, Vampire!" Claudine warned. "I am much stronger than she is!"

Claudine stood well away from Bill but his guard was quickly approaching the fairy. "Take her down!" Bill yelled to them as they closed ranks around Claudine.

Claudine exploded with light, blasting it in a circle all around her and Sookie watched as every member of King Bill's retinue fell to the ground in a heap. Both fairies smiled victoriously.

Bill, however, was not impressed. He was enraged by the two women and his grip tightened painfully around Sookie's arm. "You will come with me now!" he spat, tugging her as he turned to cross the cemetery.

"No!" screeched Sookie, digging her heels into the ground. She tried to call upon her light but she was too frightened to concentrate. Bill, understanding what she was tying to do, wrenched her arms behind her back and held her wrists immobile as he marched her towards his house at vampire speed. Sookie tried her best to stall because she did not want to be forced into Bill's house. She pushed against him with all her might but he was much stronger and her struggling only served to further anger him.

"Be still!" he growled.

Claudine watched helplessly. She could not blast Bill for fear of hitting Sookie because they were too close together and moving too fast.

"Let me go, Bill! I don't want this! Please, Bill! Please!" Sookie implored, hoping to reach his humanity. She still thought he had a little inside him. He always acted like he did when they were together. He did not stop but he slowed to human speed.

"Be quiet! Unless you want me to take you right here in the cemetery. You smell like Fairy, Sookie! You know I am helpless to resist you. I can't help it!" Bill's voice was tortured, as if he was the victim in all this. The powerless victim of Fairy induced madness. But, of course, that was just what he had to make himself believe. Above all, he thought himself a good person. But he was utterly helpless in this case—he needed to believe that to keep his delusion intact.

Sookie began to despair that she would be once again trapped with an irrational Bill and she felt herself shutting down as a self-preservation mechanism. Hot tears ran down her cheeks, unbidden, and her legs gave way, causing her to stumble. Her chest felt tight, her muscles burned.

"You should have listened to the girl," came Eric's enraged voice out of the darkness. He landed just in front of Sookie, who felt a lightning bolt of happiness at seeing her Viking coming to her rescue. She wanted to fling herself into his arms but Bill still had hers held tightly behind her back. Eric looked briefly at Sookie to reassure himself that she was mostly unharmed. He could feel her pain and fear through the bond and he felt murderous towards the vile snake who held her captive.

"Unhand her, now!" growled Eric. His voice was low and menacing. His stance alert, his eyes intense with violent rage.

"Leave us, Sheriff. As your king, I command you to leave!"

Bill was insane if he thought Eric Northman was about to leave his beloved Sookie in the clutches of one such as him. In fact, he must be literally out of his mind, the notion was so absurd. Eric was intensely angry. It took every single shred of self-control he possessed not to rip Bill to pieces and stomp through his blood.

"You would force yourself on my bonded one?" Eric asked with a soft voice that belied his overwhelming hostility towards the lesser vampire.

"She still loves me. She wants me. You can smell her. She smells of pure Fairy. I must have her. I cannot help myself!"

"You _will_ help yourself and let her go right fucking now or I will kill you where you stand." Eric waited for precisely one half of a second before he zipped around behind Bill and snapped his neck. Bill fell limply to the ground and Sookie fell forward. Eric was there to catch her before she hit the cold ground.

He cradled her body gently against his and picked her up as he started back towards her house. He was silent as he walked, his face stoic, masked.

He walked quickly through Sookie's house and laid her tenderly down on her bed. She reached for his face but he stood quickly and turned from her.

"Eric?" Sookie said timidly. "Talk to me, please."

"Not now," was his strained reply. "Stay here. I will be back." With those few words he disappeared out of her window before she could protest.

Sookie lay back on her bed wondering what was going on with Eric. Was he mad at her? She did not do anything wrong. She had tried to fight, she just could not.

"He is angry," said Claudine, popping into Sookie's bedroom to try to comfort her.

"At me?" Sookie squeaked, sitting up. She felt her heart twist at that thought and a feeling like she was being stabbed shot through her stomach.

"Not at you. But he is experiencing bloodlust and he needs to calm himself. I suspect he is somewhere nearby causing as much damage as he can."

"Then I hope he's at Bill's house. Bill is probably healed by now. I wish Eric would just kill him!" she spat but then immediately covered her mouth. It was not like her to wish someone dead and she felt ashamed.

"Do not be ashamed, little one. If you are in danger, you might need to kill to protect yourself."

"But I couldn't protect myself! I was useless! Useless!" she choked, sobbing into her hands. From somewhere in the not too distant night came the sound of metal wrenching and glass breaking. Both women listened for another minute but no other sound came.

"You will learn, dear Sookie," Claudine assured her, rubbing Sookie's back. She let her healing light stream into Sookie and Sookie felt immediately uplifted. Her black mood eased a bit and her tears stopped flowing.

"Thank you, Claudine."

"Eric comes back. I will take my leave for now. We have much more training to do. I will see you soon," she said, smiling. "Use your light on him. It will help soothe him," she advised just before she popped away.

"My light? Which kind?" Sookie started to say but Claudine was not there to answer.

Eric flew swiftly into the room and knelt immediately beside Sookie at her bedside. He lay his head in her lap and wound his arms around her waist. He held her, still and silent as only a vampire can be. Sookie looked down on him and noticed the dirt in his hair and on his clothes and wondered for the second time just where he had gone and what he had done in his anger. She resolved not to ask him. He would tell her if he wanted to.

She stroked his head, brushing the dirt from his golden hair and his arms tightened around her. Still he did not speak and Sookie was worried about him. She smoothed her hands down his back and as she wished she could do something to make him feel better, her hands began to glow softly against his back. She felt his body stiffen slightly and then relax greatly as her light continued to flow into him. He sighed, which for a vampire was unusual but it alerted Sookie to his considerable distress and the fact that he, at last, felt measurably more calm.

"Eric?" Sookie murmured, bending her face down to him. He shifted and looked up at her and the intensity of his eyes caused her to take a sharp breath. She cupped his face in both of her hands and looked directly into his eyes. "I'm okay. I'm safe. You rescued me," she whispered.

"I will kill him, Sookie. I will plan his final death. He will not touch you again!" He was becoming agitated again and Sookie wanted to help him calm down so she pulled his face towards hers. She kissed him, which he returned tenderly. She let him deepen the kiss, he needed her just as she needed him.

"Take a bath with me, Eric. I need to feel your skin against mine. The new tub you put in will fit us both."

"That was by design, sweet Sookie," he said, and Sookie felt relieved to have a glimpse of her Eric back.

Eric was slowly coming back to himself. His bloodlust had long since abated but his intense emotions at the thought of Sookie being harmed continued to plague him. He had flown at top speed to find Sookie when he felt her distress and as he did so, he had gone over every scenario he could think of as to why she could be so scared. Images of her hurt or dead had passed unbidden into his mind and he nearly drove himself mad as he pushed himself to fly faster and faster. He almost killed Bill where he stood holding what was no longer his, but he held himself back, instead deciding to form a plan for Bill's demise. He'd had to leave Sookie in her home because his feelings were just too strong at that moment. He felt the acute need to rage. Fury had swept through him, explosive and fierce, and he had a deep and ferocious longing to tear something apart with his bare hands. He had flown straight to Bill's house and torn up the car that was parked in front. If Bill was a fool, he would try to make Eric pay reparations for the vehicle and Eric actually wished Bill would try.

"Eric, sweetheart, come back. Come back to me. Take a bath with me," Sookie whispered with her lips on his. Sookie had watched in silence while fear, heartache, and anger flitted across Eric's face. He could not settle on one. Sookie hoped he would let go of it soon because it was breaking her heart and as she held him it was as if his anger was seeping into her.

"Lover," Eric purred, giving Sookie a small smile. He stood, pulled her up, and promptly crushed her to his chest. "I love you. I need to show you," he said with lust clouded eyes.

"Bath first. Then you can show me. I just need to feel you in peace, all of you, please," Sookie said, realizing she smelled like Fairy and Eric was not in the frame of mind to maintain his full control.

Eric looked at her in silence for far longer than felt comfortable for Sookie. "Very well," he said, "Bath first."

Sookie led him down the hallway and he stood behind her as she opened the tap. Once the bath was filling up with hot water, she turned around to find a very naked and very ready vampire smiling down at her.

"Oh boy," she muttered as he stepped toward her. "Eric, put that away," she said, gesturing to his erection, "Bath first, remember?"

"Where would you have me put it? I can think of a place," he leered.

Sookie could not help but laugh and despite his suggestive words, she was happy to see Eric's playfulness return. She liked this side of him and it meant he felt better.

"We're not having sex in the bath, Eric. Come on, get in first."

Eric did as she said and she got in after him. She lay back against his chest, sitting between his legs. It reminded her of the first night they were together and she smiled at the memory of it.

"What makes you so happy, lover?" asked Eric, who was struggling not to let his lust consume him and instead enjoy this closeness with Sookie.

"I was thinking about our first night together and all the..._things_ you did to me."

Eric groaned. "How is that fair, Sookie? Now I must think about all those _things_ while I do not get to do them?"

"Sorry...but isn't this nice too? Just relax, Eric." He had seemed relaxed but at the mention of their first night together she felt him harden once more against her back. She had not meant to tease him and she felt slightly bad for his discomfort but she just needed to relax for a while before anything else.

"This _is_ nice, my Sookie. I will behave."

"Thank you, sweetheart," she sighed, closing her eyes as she leaned her head back on Eric's shoulder.

They sat in comfortable silence and Eric enjoyed feeling Sookie's contentment and satisfaction through the bond. He wrapped her in his arms and held her tightly to his body, silently vowing never to let Bill bother her again.

When the water got too cold for Sookie, he helped her out of the bath, dried her gently, and carried her to her bed.

He made love to her tenderly, whispering kisses over her entire body before he finally entered her slowly. The build up was gentle but sure and when she felt her body reach its peak, she brought Eric with her over the edge.

"Let's go home," Eric whispered as she lay catching her breath.

And that's just where they went.

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**Hi lovely readers! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm sure you all wish Eric had killed Bill, but he needs to make a plan since he has no wish to be King...unless something changes his mind. ;) Anyway, hope you still liked it!**

**I have been asked to let you know of a fanfic contest that is open for nominations right now. You can find more information at: _you want blood awards...wordpress...com_ (remove spaces and dots). Please check it out if you would like!**

**As always, thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	17. Chapter 17

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"What the fuck?" said Eric as he pulled up to his house in Sookie's tiny car. He'd had to scrunch his body into it and he had insisted on driving even though the steering wheel cut painfully into his thighs. But Eric was not expecting to see a strange car in his driveway and was immediately on edge.

"You have a visitor?" asked Sookie.

"I should not. No one knows where this house is except for Chow and Pam... Pam!" Eric shouted as he probed the bond and found that Pam was in a very excited state. "Damn it!" Eric yelled as he wrenched the car door open and extricated himself from it in a hurry. He strode quickly to open Sookie's door and ushered her into his house.

"Pam!" he shouted out as he sped to her bedroom and threw open the door. "What the hell is this?" he gritted out when he took in the scene before him.

"What does it look like?" said Pam, standing up and smoothing her skirt down as Amelia scrambled to stand behind her.

Eric was pissed but trying to calm down. He knew exactly what he was looking at and he also knew that Pam meant no harm by inviting Amelia over. She did not understand how important it was for Eric's house to remain unknown. It was something he should have thought to tell her and he had only himself to blame for failing to do just that.

"She called to give me some news and I invited her over. What's the big deal? I did not feed from her," said Pam, who knew her maker was mad but did not think she did anything wrong. He had told her to stay put but said nothing of having company. And Amelia was good company!

"Very well, she may stay but I will need to glamour my house's location from her before she leaves," he said to Pam in a low voice that only she could hear.

"Thank you, Eric," she said smiling.

Amelia, who was still hiding behind Pam, peeked her head out to thank Eric also.

"Yes, fine," he said. "When you are finished here, please speak with me about your news." He turned around and left quickly, almost slamming right into Sookie, who was standing directly behind him. Of course, being a vampire, his reflexes prevented it.

"She brought Amelia here?" said Sookie, putting her hands on his arms to steady herself. "And you're angry. I can tell. Why can I tell?"

Eric did not look angry and he was purposely not acting angry even though he felt angry. But still Sookie knew he was angry. "You can tell I am angry?"

"I can feel that you are angry," she said. She turned to walk away from Eric and as soon as she stopped touching him, the feeling of his anger stopped too. She walked back up to him and put her hand on him and the feeling came back. It was in her belly, and if she was not so used to parsing others' thoughts and separating them from her own, she might have thought the anger she was feeling was her own. But she knew it belonged to Eric, she just did not know how she was feeling it too.

"You can feel my anger?"

"Only when I touch you."

"And thoughts are easier to read when touching, is that correct?"

"Yes."

Eric was awestruck. Fairies! His little fairy could feel him after only two blood exchanges! "You are amazing!" he said.

"We haven't even completed the bond. I thought I wouldn't feel you until three blood exchanges."

"It turns out that I was wrong about that, my fairy. You can feel me already. This makes me happy," he said grinning boyishly.

"I want to feel something other than anger."

He picked her up, still grinning, and kissed her fiercely.

"Oh!" Sookie said, her eyes wide. "Lust! Crazy amounts of lust! Is that how you feel when we kiss?"

"Well, yes. That's how I feel every time I see you but I am purposefully sending it to you. I am not certain about what you can pick up by just touching me but you can feel what I send to you."

"Okay, try sending something when I'm not touching you."

Eric sent love through the bond, which was the other constant emotion he felt when he looked at Sookie.

"Nope, I'm not getting anything," she said, concentrating hard the way she would if she was trying to read a mind from a distance.

Eric came close and put his hand on her cheek, kissing her softly and sending love at the same time.

Sookie's grabbed onto his shoulders and her hands immediately began to glow with soft white light.

Eric was startled as a wave of ecstasy dropped him to his knees causing him to cry out.

"Eric!" called Sookie, kneeling down in front of him. "I'm sorry! I wasn't trying to do that. I just felt the love you sent and my body sent it back I guess.

"Do not apologize, lover. Your body is incredible. That was incredible."

"I can tell," said Sookie, reaching down to palm his thick erection.

"Sookie, do it again," he whispered, rocking into her hand.

"Let's go in your bedroom," she said and before she could think of the next thing she wanted to say, Eric had picked her up and brought them to his bed with vampire speed.

He sat looking at her expectantly and Sookie thought he looked like a little boy waiting for a present.

"I don't really know how to control it Eric. I don't want to give you too much."

"Give me too much, it's okay. Give me any, I will take it. Please."

"Okay," she laughed. "Touch me and send me love again and we'll see what happens."

Eric did as she said and Sookie felt her hands tingling with power again. This time she consciously tried to slow it down so she did not overwhelm Eric like she had the night they blood bonded.

A small wave of light entered Eric's body and he immediately started moaning. Sookie watched in fascination as Eric's face contorted in rapture and his body hardened and writhed under her touch. Because her light was soft, she could keep her hands on him and he was experiencing fantastic pleasure but not being so overwhelmed that he could not stand the light for long. Sookie watched his body move rhythmically as if he was inside her, his hips thrusting. His hands were fisted in the sheet and his mouth hung open, his eyes squeezed shut. His brow was furrowed and if she did not know that he was experiencing such bliss, she would have thought he was in pain. Then his back arched suddenly and he cried out in his climax. Sookie saw the telltale darkening of his jeans and knew that he had just cum in his pants. He, however, was not embarrassed. He was never embarrassed.

"Magnificent!" he beamed. "Thank you! Your light is amazing!" He got up and began stripping off his jeans, leaving them in a heap on the floor. He went to wipe himself off in the bathroom and then put on another pair of pants.

"That was good, right? With my light? It wasn't too much?" Sookie was excited that she had controlled the intensity of her light to bring Eric pleasure but not bombard him.

"It was perfect! Couldn't you tell?" he said with a smirk.

Sookie blushed. "Yes, I could tell," she said.

From outside their bedroom door, Eric heard Pam call him. Now that she had her own lover, she no longer barged in on him with his.

"I will be out shortly," he called. "Pam is ready for us to talk with Amelia," he said to Sookie, who had not heard Pam's soft voice.

"Oh, good," she said, "Let's go!"

Pam and Amelia were sitting on the couch in the living room when Sookie and Eric walked out. Eric walked over to a big leather chair and pulled Sookie down to sit on his lap.

"What is your news, Amelia?" he asked.

"Well, you're not going to like this. I went to Moongoddess Emporium to see if I could talk to Marnie and she tried to recruit me into some mad idea to try to get all the vampires in the area to walk out into the sun. She is not herself. I could sense two spirits within her. She is possessed, which is very dangerous. I don't know if she has the power to do what she wants to do but she shouldn't be allowed to try!"

Both Eric's and Pam's fangs snapped down at the mention of walking into the sun. Eric growled.

"She will be stopped! When does she plan to do this?"

"In a few days, I think. She needs more people since a few of her regular coven members dropped out. That's why she asked me to join and any others I knew. But there is no way I would do that and I told her so."

"I need you to go back," Eric said.

"What?"

"To find out when she plans to cast her spell. You would infiltrate them and report back."

"Oh, I don't think I could do that. That Marnie lady is crazy!"

"You will!" growled Eric.

Sookie, who could sense Eric's foul mood, moved quickly to intervene. "Amelia, maybe you could go back in a day or so just to see if she is ready for her spell? You could pretend you need something from her shop and have a small conversation with her?"

Amelia sighed and Eric's body relaxed slightly. "I guess I could do that," she said.

Sookie smiled. "Thank you. It would be a big help."

"You're welcome," she said and Pam gave her a small kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, darling," said Pam.

"So, I was talking to my friend Lafayette and he wants to get together with you and a couple others to see if y'all could help Pam. Do you think you could meet tomorrow night?"

"Sure! I am happy to help, that's why I called Pam. I hope it's okay that I'm here. I won't tell anyone about the house."

"Of course you won't," said Eric, knowing that once he glamoured it out of her, she would not even remember about the house.

"So, what should we do the rest of the night?" asked Sookie.

"Unfortunately, I need to go into Fangtasia tonight but I trust you girls will find something to do to entertain yourselves."

Amelia grinned broadly, looking from Sookie to Pam. "Slumber party!" she called out. Amelia was happy to be with Pam and she also enjoyed Sookie's company. She was excited to have more time to spend with both of them.

Sookie grinned at Amelia's suggestion. "Yes!" she said. She did not have a lot of friends growing up but she loved when Tara spent the night and now she had two friends to get to know better over popcorn—or blood, trashy movies, and pillow talk. She was excited for the opportunity to have some fun and relax.

Sookie and Amelia jumped up with huge smiles but Pam remained seated, looking confused. "What is so exciting about sleeping? How is that a party?"

"It's everything before you go to sleep that makes it fun!" said Amelia.

"Junk food, bad movies, gossip—that's the fun part," said Sookie.

Eric just shook his head. "Sookie, I need to get ready for Fangtasia. Come talk with me while I do? And then I'll leave all you ladies to your party of not sleeping."

"Slumber party," said Sookie and Amelia at the same time, which made them laugh.

"Yes, but you said the not sleeping was the fun part."

"Oh, Eric," she sighed, following him into his room. "I'll be out soon. Amelia, scour the kitchen for junk food. There must be something!"

Eric pulled Sookie into his arms once they were alone. "I am happy to see you so excited," he said against her hair.

"I never had a lot of friends to have a slumber party with growing up," she said softly.

"Well, I'm glad that you have the opportunity now. I hope you have fun. Please stay safe and don't leave the house."

"Okay, but when I wake up, I'm going home. Do you want to come get me at sundown and then we'll go to meet everybody?"

"You are not going home, Sookie. Bill lives too close. You will stay here," he said as if he was giving an order to a vampire under his command.

"I'm going home," Sookie said with confidence. If Eric thought he could tell her what to do and she would blindly do it, he did not know her at all!

"Absolutely not!" said Eric in a firm voice.

"But, Eric, it's my house! I can't let him run me out of my own home!" Sookie said, her voice rising with her emotions.

"No! We are not discussing this. You are not going back!"

"You don't get to make decisions for me, Eric. You are neither my maker nor my parent. I'm not stupid. I won't go outside alone after dark. Bill can't come into my house!"

"Sookie!" Eric growled, getting angrier. He did not understand her stubbornness. Especially after what happened earlier in the night. Bill would have taken her against her will! The thought of that nearly brought him to his knees and he wanted to howl in anger. "No. You will stay here!" he commanded.

Sookie balled up her fists and crossed her arms and the action made her wince as pain shot through both arms.

Eric was immediately at her side. "You are hurt. Let me see," he said gently, his anger disappearing the instant he felt her pain. He tugged up the sleeve of the cardigan Sookie put on before they had left her house. In the time between their love-making and their argument, ugly bruises had bloomed on her upper arms and around her wrists.

Looking upon her injuries, Eric felt a renewed wave of fury course through him. He wanted to mercilessly torture and finally kill Bill Compton. He just had to figure out a plan for it.

Eric stroked gentle fingers down Sookie's arms and placed feather-light kisses on her bruised skin. He felt an overwhelming sense of guilt because he was not there to protect Sookie.

"I should have been there," he whispered, hugging Sookie to his chest. "I should have been there."

"Eric, you got there in time. I'm okay," she said, putting her hand on his cheek.

"He hurt you. He bruised you. He will fucking pay!"

"Good."

"You do not care if I kill him?"

"I should...maybe I would if he hadn't attacked me. But right now I want him dead."

Eric could feel her anger but also her guilt over her feelings.

"Sookie, will you take my blood? To heal your bruises? Please. I cannot think about them without wanting to fly from here and end Compton once and for all."

"Yes, I will." Sookie did not want to get into the habit of taking Eric's blood for every ache or pain but her arms really did hurt and she knew Eric was holding on by a rapidly fraying thread. She wanted him to feel better as much as herself.

"Come sit with me," he said, sitting back against the headboard of his bed.

Sookie sat on his lap facing him. "Will you...um..."

"Climax?" he said, chuckling. "And if I do?"

"But you're dressed! In clean pants!"

"Do you wish me to disrobe?" he said with his lopsided smirk.

"Well, I just thought...I don't know, do you want that to happen in your pants again?"

"It's fine. I don't mind. Ready? I will bite my wrist for you."

He bit and held his wrist up to Sookie's mouth who latched on immediately.

Eric groaned as he felt her lips on him pulling his blood into her mouth. His cock swelled immediately and Sookie could feel it next to her leg where she sat on his lap. She reached down to rub him and he moaned as he flexed his hips to press into her hand.

After a few mouthfuls of blood, Eric pulled his wrist away with a growl. "Enough, lover."

Sookie looked up at him with bloody lips and Eric crushed his mouth to hers, licking her lips.

"Thank you, Eric," she said, when he finally released her mouth. "I feel better."

"I am glad I could help," he said with fervent eyes. "He will not hurt you again, Sookie. But I need your help to keep you safe."

"Eric, I will stay here for a day or two but I will not be forced from my own home."

"Please consider this your home, too," he said, looking at her intently. He would share his house with her if it would make her happy and keep her safe. He could not bear the thought of her being so far away and unsafe at her own house.

"Eric, while I appreciate that, I love my house. It's all I have left of my family."

"Sookie, I...I need you. I feel...agitated...when you are not near me." He held her hands in his. "When I'm with you, it makes me happy. It feels so strange, but you bring me peace, Sookie."

"Claudine told me that's part of the Fairy bond. I didn't know that and I'm sorry if you are upset but she said we will feel bad when we're apart. She said you'd learn to push the feeling down so we can be apart."

"I don't want to push it away. I want you close. In all my thousand years, I have never felt this way about anyone, Sookie. I want you with me all the time, I would gladly meet the sun if anything ever happened to you. The thought of you hurt makes me want to weep and kill things." He laughed lightly to diffuse the tension he created with his heartfelt words.

"But I will be fine. I won't go out alone after dark."

"But the King has human guards. What if he has them kidnap you during the day? Sookie, please. Can I at least assign you a guard?"

Sookie thought about it for a moment. She really did not want a body guard but she also knew that Eric was really worried about her. She sighed. "Fine, Eric. But can I pick one?"

Eric was surprised— both that she acquiesced so quickly and that she knew of a guard to choose. "Very well, who would you like?"

"Alcide."

Eric growled, dropping his fangs as he snarled. "No! Alcide wants you for himself. Choose someone else."

Sookie jumped up from her seat on his bed. "You said I could choose! I already know him, I know he's nice. You don't trust me?"

"I don't trust him! Filthy dog! He would seduce you the minute he got the chance!"

"He's still in love with Debbie! Besides, he will respect our relationship. Eric, please! I don't want to be stuck with some stranger all day."

Eric looked at Sookie's pleading eyes and decided that he could deny her nothing and even though he did not trust Alcide, he trusted Sookie implicitly. "Fine," he said with a growl, "But if he so much as looks at you wrong, he will pay!"

"Thank you!" Sookie said, walking over to him to kiss his cheek. Eric turned his face suddenly and captured her lips in a searing kiss.

"I just do not want you hurt again," he murmured against her cheek.

"I know. I know you are trying to protect me but I don't want Bill to force me from my own home. That slimy little fucker is not worth it."

Eric chuckled at her ire and began to dress for Fangtasia. When he dropped his pants to put on something nicer, Sookie beckoned him over to where she sat on the bed.

"Send me lust," she said, putting her hands on his hips and drawing him closer.

Eric sent her a wave of lust and she sent it right back to him in a wave of light that stiffened his cock and made him shudder. Sookie lessened the strength of her light, which she found she could do quite easily just by imagining a dial being turned down or up. She took his erection in her glowing hand and brought it to her mouth. Eric watched in fascination as she worked him towards a rolling peak. Her mouth on him felt unbelievably good as it always did but her light was something else entirely. He felt the light flooding every cell of his body. It rushed through him and everything it touched swelled in ecstasy. It came in waves, surging through his body, rising and falling like his lover's breast. At the crest, he could barely think straight, could barely keep himself standing but then there came the ebb and the small reprieve meant that he could maintain enough control so that he did not fall over the edge embarrassingly fast. But each uprising left him more and more coiled, each low gave him less and less restraint, until he was in a continuous growing onslaught of euphoria that made it impossible to remain upright.

Sookie could tell that he was ready to collapse and she turned them around so he could sit on the bed.

Eric was vaguely aware that his body was now supported but he was aware of nothing else besides the pleasure he was receiving. So much pleasure he could not hold back the inevitable and he came groaning loudly, back arched, hands fisted behind his neck. He lay with his eyes closed until Sookie climbed on top of him to kiss his lips. When his eyes opened, the intensity of his gaze startled Sookie.

"Good?" she said, petting his face.

"Perfect!" he said. He started to move so that he could swap positions and be on top but Sookie stopped him.

"Eric, I'm kinda looking forward to a girl's night. Maybe we could continue this later?"

Eric smiled, "Whatever you want," he said climbing off the bed to finish dressing.

Sookie smiled at him, she loved to watch his butt as he moved around naked. He was so unashamed of his body and his sexuality and it was something she was also striving for. She wanted to be as comfortable with herself as Eric seemed to be with himself.

"I will be back when Fangtasia closes. I will miss you every second until I am back in your arms."

"You are so sweet, Eric. I'll miss you too. I might be in Pam's room when you get back but feel free to come get me."

"Okay," he said, kissing her gently.

When they walked out of his bedroom, Amelia walked up to Sookie. "There is no junk food in this entire house! Nothing!"

Sookie and Amelia turned pouting faces on Eric, who chuckled. "What should I get for you?" he asked.

Sookie wrote a list with Amelia's help and Eric flew quickly to the closest convenience store to fulfill their requests.

"The clerk thought it very strange that a vampire was buying snacks, lover," he said when he got back.

"Aw, thank you sweetheart. You're such a domesticated vampire," she teased.

Eric narrowed his eyes at her and grabbed her in a tight hug, dipping her back to kiss her neck. Sookie squealed and giggled until he set her upright and smoothed her shirt down.

Amelia watched them with amusement. "You two are so cute," she sighed.

Sookie smiled at Amelia but Eric, who had momentarily forgotten himself in front of a witness, was less happy. He walked up to Amelia and quickly glamoured her to forget about his house as soon as she left, which he knew would not be until the next day.

With that done, Eric kissed Sookie and Pam goodbye and left to fly to Fangtasia.

Sookie and Amelia went into the living room and pulled Pam up off the couch. "Slumber party!" they both screamed.

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**Next up: slumber party! Will there be lingerie fashion shows and naughty tickle fights? Hmm, maybe in Eric's dreams. Lol.**


	18. Chapter 18

**I am so sorry for the months that went by before this update! I struggle with keeping to canon for this story so I have decided to dump canon as much as I want. I hope you enjoy this chapter if you are still interested in this story! Thanks for reading even though I've been a horrible writer!**

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><p>As Eric flew to Fangtasia, Sookie and Amelia went with Pam into her room to look at her collection of nail polish and jewelry. Pam was eager to share whatever they wanted so they scooped up their favorites and went back to the living room.<p>

Amelia spread out the selection of candy that Eric bought for them and chose her favorite candy bar. "Sookie, what do you want?"

"I'm going to have ice cream," said Sookie.

Pam looked on curiously as both women ate their sugary treats. Her eyes widened at the looks of pleasure on both of their faces, especially when they ate what they called chocolate.

"I'm sure you had it as a human, right Pam?" asked Amelia. "I think it's been around for a really long time."

Sookie panicked slightly knowing that Pam had no memory of her human days, or any day farther out than the last week or so. "Oh, I'm sure. Right, Pam? I'm sure you loved it!" Sookie said, giving Pam a significant look.

Pam smiled. "Oh, yes! It was divine," she said.

After eating their fill of junk food, the partiers began going through Pam's closet to find the most outrageous outfits to try on. Even Pam had to admit that she possessed some crazy ensembles.

"I can't believe you wear some of this stuff," laughed Sookie, holding up a gaudy sequined cat suit in purple velour.

"Yes, neither can I," quipped Pam, rolling her eyes.

"Put it on!" squealed Amelia, thrusting the outfit into Pam's hands. "Please!"

Once all the women were similarly dressed up, they put on what Sookie called a 'trashy movie,' and settled down with some wine, and heated blood for Pam. The humans, having been on a sugar high, soon hit a low with the help of the wine they consumed. They were asleep before the movie was halfway over.

—•~~~~~•—•~~~~~•—

Eric entered his office at Fangtasia and was immediately on the phone. He called Isabel, his maker's trusted second and now sheriff in Texas. He needed allies if he would be challenging King Compton. Eric had no desire to be the king of Louisiana but he would do what was needed to protect his bonded mate.

"Eric Northman, to what do I owe the pleasure of a phone call?" said Isabel.

"How are you, Isabel? I trust things are well in your area?"

"They are. But I'm sure you did not call to make small talk. What is going on?"

"You remember Sookie Stackhouse?"

"Of course. The delightful telepath who disappeared. Have you found her? I know you were...agitated...without her."

"She is back. We are bonded. Twice bonded."

"I knew you loved her." Isabel said with laughter in her voice. "Why are we discussing her?"

"Compton still wants her. He tried to abduct her last night. And...force his attentions on her," Eric gritted out. The thought of it still made him feel murderous.

"And you ended him?"

"Regretfully, I did not. He is King and I have no desire to rule. If he touches her again, my reluctance will not stop me from finally killing him."

"What do you want from me?" Isabel knew Eric Northman was not calling just to chat. He needed her for some reason.

"How would you like to be Queen of Louisiana?"

"What? I thought you would be King!"

"I would like to avoid that. I will be if I cannot find another alternative."

"And you thought I was a good alternative?"

"Yes."

"I don't know what to say. Do you have a plan?"

"I have several. They depends on many factors. Would you like some time to decide?"

"I should think so. I will call you again in two days." With that, Isabel hung up and Eric went out to his bar to make sure things had been running smoothly in his absence.

"Master," said Ginger, as soon as he appeared. "Can I do anything for you. To you?" she smiled. She was always trying to get into Eric's pants.

"I do not have the time to indulge your fantasies, Ginger. I have work to do. Leave me!"

Ginger scampered away, muttering to herself that she deserved a chance to rock that Viking's world. If he would only invite her into his bed, she would make sure that he left wanting more. Over the years Ginger had developed a very vivid mental world in which she bedded Eric nightly and he went to his day death with a satisfied smile on his handsome face.

Entertaining his patrons had never before been such a loathsome chore, and Eric had hated it for as long as he owned Fangtasia. But when he wanted nothing more than to be in the arms of his beloved fairy, it was an almost unbearable agony. His scowl never left his face and no one dared approach his throne, the fury he was projecting keeping everyone away.

Chow eyed him warily, wondering what put his sheriff in an even worse mood than usual. He guessed it had something to do with whatever had kept the Northman away for so many nights. Most likely something to do with that sniveling King Bill Compton. Chow could not stand that vampire and had no idea how he became regent of his state. When Eric approached the bar to tell Chow that he had had enough and was leaving, Chow almost asked him about his business but the sheriff's demeanor made him keep his mouth shut. He simply nodded his agreement to close down the bar and see that everything was secured. The next night, the bar was closed and Chow hoped Northman came in the next time in a better mood. One thousand year old vampires with mood swings did nothing good for business and Chow wished to keep his head firmly attached to his body.

As soon as Eric was on his way home to his mate, he felt much happier. His black mood eased more and more the closer he got to Sookie. Still, he felt upset that she had refused to stay with him. He did not like the thought of that dog watching her or that she might be in danger from Compton if she stayed at her home. Resolved to the fact that he would need to have another conversation with Sookie, one that she might not necessarily enjoy, Eric pulled into his garage and shut off his car.

He entered his house to find Sookie and Amelia asleep on the living room floor and Pam sitting on the couch reading one of Sookie's romance novels.

Pam stood up and greeted Eric in a whisper.

"What is she wearing?" Eric asked hungrily, taking in the tiny skirt now bunched around Sookie's delightful thighs.

"It is mine."

"It is...appealing." Eric had things to discuss with Sookie. His cock, now stirring in his pants, would have to wait.

"She can keep it," said Pam, "It does look delicious on her."

"How long have they been sleeping?" he asked, ignoring Pam's rising lust.

"Two hours now. Have you ever read one of these books? Trashy romance novel, Sookie said they are called. Really very good, if somewhat unimaginative. I mean, really, the sex is pretty repetitive, but—"

Eric cut her off with a wave of his hand. "I must speak with Sookie. Was she in a good mood tonight? Did she have fun?"

"She and Amelia were dancing to the most awful music but their snacks did smell good for the most part. The frozen cream and sugar concoction seemed the most appealing. Sookie makes the most delightful noises when she eats it. You should keep the house fully stocked with that."

"I will keep that in mind. I wish for her to be comfortable here. I trust you had an enjoyable night?"

"Oh yes. We played 'fashion show.' That was my favorite game. I seem to like make-up very much. I made up both girls and they tried on my dresses. You simply must get Sookie some better and more exciting lingerie. She did not even match!" Pam whispered the last part with a horrified expression on her face.

Eric growled softly. "Why were you looking at her underclothes?"

"During slumber parties it is apparently acceptable to change clothing in front of the other guests. That made the fashion show my favorite part."

Eric growled louder and turned from Pam. Perhaps there would be no more slumber parties for Sookie.

"I did not touch her," said Pam with her hand on Eric's shoulder. Eric turned and kissed Pam's forehead, sensing her worry and remorse.

"It is fine. I need to wake her now. Perhaps you will take Amelia into your bedroom?"

Pam did what he asked and once they were gone, he picked up Sookie and brought her to his bedroom. When he laid her down, she stirred, opening her eyes. Her smile was wide and happy as she looked up at her vampire.

"Hi, handsome," she said, just before she yawned.

"Hello, beautiful," he answered. "I am sorry to wake you."

"I'm not sorry. I missed you," she said, reaching for Eric as he stood over her. He straightened up before she could pull him down. She frowned and Eric felt her confusion and hurt.

He smiled to reassure her and cupped her cheek in his cool hand. "Sookie, we need to talk. Will you sit with me?"

"Is something wrong? Are you okay?"

Sookie went quickly to sit next to him on the large chaise lounge in the corner of his room and he softly kissed her temple. "I am fine. Don't worry, lover."

In a flash, Eric zipped across the room and back. He held in his hand a large t-shirt, which he handed to Sookie. She looked up at him with knitted brows.

"I have no willpower with you in that dress, Sookie. Would you like to wear this instead?"

Sookie smiled at Eric as she took the shirt. She needed to take care of some human needs anyway so she walked to the bathroom. She swung her hips seductively and laughed at the frustrated growl from her vampire across the room. Sookie washed her face and brushed her teeth after she changed clothes. She put on her pajama pants along with Eric's huge shirt.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Sookie asked, when she was finished. She curled her body around Eric's on the lounge chair, laying her head on his shoulder. Eric wrapped his strong arms around her and kissed her head.

"The future."

"The future? What does that mean?" She lifted her head, observing the thin line of his mouth and the tense set of his jaw. He did not think she would like their coming conversation.

"We have a few things to discuss. The first being the most unpleasant. Bill Compton," he said and Sookie shuddered.

"What about that bastard?"

"I must end him."

"So do it!"

"It is not that simple. It is not simple at all. He who ends a monarch, becomes a monarch."

"And you don't want to rule," Sookie said, knowing her vampire's heart, so to say.

"I do not wish to rule," he said, tilting Sookie's head to look into her eyes, "but I would do anything to assure your safety. I would rule for you, my love."

Sookie was stunned at the sincerity of his words, at the fire in his eyes and the love she felt coming over the bond from him since he was touching her face.

"You would rule for me?" she squeaked. "Why?"

Eric laughed. It was so obvious to him why. "Because I love you."

Sookie blushed, a crimson stain on her cheeks that was so lovely to Eric. "But you hate the thought of being King."

"Yes, but I love you more than anything. I would do anything if it meant you were happy and cared for."

Sookie blanched at his words. Not because she thought him insincere or cloying, but because his sacrifice was so great and she had not made any even similar allowances for his happiness. She suddenly felt ashamed at the way she fought with him just that evening over staying at her house versus his. He just wanted her safe yet he had allowed her to have her way with minimal argument, even trusting Alcide to guard her since that was what she wanted.

"Eric, I don't want you to have to sacrifice your own happiness for mine."

"It is no sacrifice if you are happy, lover. But I am trying to plan for another monarch in any case. I have spoken with Isabel and she will give me her answer in a few days. If she will agree to be Queen of Louisiana, it might solve our problem. Regardless of her answer, Bill Compton will be finally dead within a fortnight. Someone else will rule this state and you will be safe from his unwanted advances."

"Two weeks? So can I stay here for two more weeks, then?" Sookie asked with a small smile. She knew he did not want her to go back home but two weeks with her under his roof might seem like too much for the Viking who was used to having his freedom. She was still uncertain despite being able to feel his love.

Eric was surprised, though he tried to keep it off his face. "You can stay here for eternity, Sookie Stackhouse," he assured. "I want nothing more than to share my house with you."

"Are you sure? I know you have lived alone a long time, Eric. I don't want to seem like a burden. You—"

Eric cut her off with an impassioned look and his hands gripped her shoulders tightly. "You will never be a burden to me! Never! How could you think that? I love you, little fairy. I want you by my side for my every waking moment and even in my day death I long for your touch. A burden? Impossible!"

"Okay!" said Sookie, feeling some of his passion seep into her via his touch. "Okay! You want me around! I will stay around!" she blazed. She laughed at the great joy she felt from him in the bond and threw her arms around his neck. His arms curled around her back and brought her body close to his. Eric scooted down the lounge chair so he could hold her whole body against his and softly kissed her hair, breathing in her sunny scent.

Eric could sense Sookie's increased libido but before they got carried away in carnal pleasure, there was more for them to discuss.

He brushed her hair back from her face and kissed her lips. "If I were King," he started, "there would be many changes. Can we discuss some of them?"

"Of course! What would change? You'd live in a fancy house like Bill's?" she teased.

"Where _we_ would live would have to change, yes, but that is the least of the changes." He emphasized the word 'we' because whatever happened, he wanted Sookie at his side. "I would want you to be my queen, Sookie."

"Your queen! Me? Oh, I don't think I'm cut out for somethin' like that! What does that mean? Your queen?" Sookie was panicking a little at the thought of ruling a whole state even if Eric was by her side.

Eric, sensing her turmoil, tried to soften the frightening nature of these enormous changes. "You would be at my side but you would not have to make decisions like I would. Though I hope you would help me should I need it. The vampires of the state would owe us both fealty and they would be sworn to protect you with their lives."

"Why would they do that? They don't know me!"

"Because you would be my wife."

"Your wife?" Sookie squeaked for the second time of the evening. She scrambled off the chair and began to pace the floor of Eric's room. Eric watched her walk back and forth, his eyes following her every move. Her bottom lip was between her teeth, her brow furrowed, and her heart racing.

Eric felt her jumble of emotions through the bond and was surprised to find himself disheartened by her reaction. When he finally told someone he wished to be pledged to them, he did not expect to feel so rejected. It stung. Eric sat up and swung his legs over the side of the chair, dropping his head into his hands.

Sookie noticed his actions and immediately knelt in front of him. Lifting his face, she felt flow into her, all of his sadness and insecurity at her perceived rejection of his offer.

She kissed his downturned mouth and looked into his despairing eyes. "Ask me," she whispered.

His mouth lifted and his eyes found some hope. "You are the love of my life, dead or otherwise, Sookie Stackhouse," he said, with his hands on her face and his eyes staring deeply into hers, "and though I am not worthy of such a prize, will you also be my wife?"

Sookie threw her arms tightly around Eric's neck and whispered feverishly into his ear, "Yes, Eric, Yes! I will be your wife and you will be my husband!"

Eric stood and wrapped Sookie in his arms. He let his feet leave the ground, his body echoing the lightness in his heart. They floated there, above his room, as Eric brought his mouth down to Sookie's and kissed her with every ounce of gratitude and passion that he possessed at that moment.

Sookie kissed him back, wrapping her legs around his waist as they hovered. She slowly pulled her mouth away from his, immediately missing his talented tongue, but there was something she needed him to know. "You are worth every bit of me, you crazy Viking. We are bonded, soon to be for an eternity, bound together out of love but also respect. So don't let me hear you say you are not worthy of marrying me. Got it, you big oaf?"

Eric smiled at her teasing even though his heart soared at her words. "Got it, little fairy," he whispered, just before his mouth claimed hers once again.

Sookie wondered if it was possible to make love while floating like they were and Eric, as if sensing her question, began to undress them as they hung in midair. He had to put her down briefly to remove their pants, but he picked her up quickly.

Sex in the air was like nothing Sookie ever imagined. She clung tightly to Eric's huge body as he moved within her and she wondered briefly if he would drop her in the end, when he climaxed.

"Are you afraid?" Eric asked at that moment, having sensed a pulse of fear.

"Not really. I trust you," she said, pulling his head down hard to kiss him thoroughly. Her light surrounded them both, moving from her glowing hands, all throughout Eric's taut and rippling body.

Eric's chest rumbled and his fangs snicked out at her aggressive move. He loved when she took from him what she wanted. He sometimes, with her, did not want to be the aggressor, the more powerful. That was why he gloried in her Fairy light that could drop him to his knees and make him whimper pathetically. It wasn't until Sookie that he wished he did not always possess the strength that he did and his wish came true tenfold. He was helpless against that exquisite glow. He was held prisoner in his body, aware of nothing but the rapture pouring into his every cell, lighting every nerve ending and sparking every synapse in his brain.

Eric had no idea how he remained hovering above the floor when he was barely aware of his own body except for the pleasure coursing through it. He decided, even in his lust drunk state, that his body would protect his mate with fierce resolve. He would never hurt her, even unintentionally.

After their maiden midair sex voyage, the two lay in bed together stroking each other softly.

"Sookie?" said Eric, cautiously.

"Eric?" She knew this tone. She would not like whatever it was he was about to say.

"When we marry, and if I become regent of this state...," he trailed off.

"Yes?" Sookie grabbed his hand to feel him through the bond. He was nervous but proud.

"You would need to quit your job at the shifter's bar," he finished quickly, waiting for the anger he knew he would feel in their bond.

"Quit my job?" questioned Sookie, quietly. She found the prospect sad but also exciting. She had worked at Merlotte's for much longer than she thought she would when she took the job. She figured she would be on to better things by this time but her life just seemed to be a series of unfortunate events, much like that novel that she liked when she was younger. Those children had lost their parents too.

Eric was grateful not to feel Sookie's wrath through the bond or through her words. What he did feel—sadness but excitement—came as a pleasant surprise to him. "This does not make you angry?"

"Angry? No. Sad, a little but it's kinda exciting, don't you think? New beginnings! There's so much I could do! I have some money now, I could take classes!" Sookie sat up and scooted back against the headboard, gesturing wildly, awash with enthusiasm for her imagined future.

Eric, too, sat up. He smiled to see Sookie so excited. He wanted her to face her future, their future, with happy anticipation. "I have some money, too, lover. You could do whatever you wanted. I will happily take care of whatever you need to make you happy." In reality, Eric had much more than 'some money,' but he figured Sookie would balk if he discussed his financial holdings with her at that time.

"Well, I am happy that you want to, but if I can afford something, I would like to pay. Does that make you feel bad?" Sookie was not naive; she knew about male pride. She could guess that Eric, having been alive, or undead, for a thousand years, might revert back to the ages when it was the man's job to take care of the woman.

Eric looked at Sookie with a small smile. "Sookie, I may be over a thousand years old, but I was a Viking. We know about strong women. In my time, men and women took care of each other. Each had important responsibilities that kept us all alive. If it would make you happy to pay for what you want, then please do. If you find that there is something you cannot afford, I hope you will allow me to help. We will take care of each other, yes?"

"Eric, you are amazing! How did I ever think you were such an asshole?" said Sookie before immediately clamping her hand over her mouth.

Eric took in her shocked expression and the overflowing regret in the bond and suddenly bellowed his laughter, catching Sookie totally off guard. "I am an asshole," he said. "To everyone but you, sweet Sookie."

"Shut up. You're charming. You're my darling little baby," she said, kissing his mouth three times for the three words that Eric vehemently disagreed with.

Shaking his head, Eric answered, "I am ruthless, big, and old." His fangs shot down out of his gums when Sookie suddenly jumped on top of his lap, straddling him and leaning quickly into his face. Her playfulness and lust came pouring over their bond.

"Can I feed you, old man?" she teased. "You didn't take anything before."

"Didn't I?" he said, cocking an eyebrow at her mischievously.

"You didn't bite me, Vampire. Let me feed you, Eric. I know you don't need much and I know I taste better than that frozen blood you drink."

"Much better," he agreed. "But I do not need to feed right now."

"I want these," she breathed, tracing a finger down one long fang and then the other as Eric's eyes rolled back in ecstasy, "inside me." She smiled, noticing the resultant swelling underneath her.

"Sookie," Eric growled. "You seduce me."

"Do I?" she asked with all the innocence of a child caught at the proverbial cookie jar. She tilted her head, baring her neck and making Eric's erection pulse beneath her.

"You do," he said, just before he bit.

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><p><strong>What did you think? <strong>

**I wanted to thank those of you who have been reviewing and leaving encouraging messages for a new chapter. You jumpstarted my muse and I hope to have much more timely updates from now on. **

**Also, if you don't yet know, I have a wordpress site which you can find at victoryintrouble dot wordpress dot com. Thanks!**


	19. Chapter 19

**CH 19**

"Tonight we meet with Lafayette and Jesus and everyone. Are you nervous?" Sookie lay in bed with Eric, who had just woken for the night, at her side. She could feel through his touch, the swirl of emotions in his mind.

"I am…" he paused, thoughtfully, "anxious to go and eager to get Pamela fixed. I am uncertain whether or not tonight will be a waste of time."

"You're nervous," she said, smiling softly and stroking his face. He remained silent and Sookie had an idea. "Can I try something? I did it before when you were so upset after Bill…after what happened at my house. But then you were angry."

"What would you like to do, lover?"

"Can I try my light on you?"

"Lover, I would much rather fuck you right now," said Eric, raising his erection and making a tent in the sheet.

Sookie laughed at his trick but then became serious. "No, you horn dog, I mean the other kind of light. The healing light. It should soothe you, I think. But…well, I'm not exactly certain how to make sure of the kind of light you get, so you may get some of the other kind at first."

Eric smirked. "That will be acceptable. But I am no dog, with a horn or otherwise."

Sookie laughed, her body convulsed with giggles at Eric's innocent but hilarious—to her, anyway—words. "Oh my goodness, you are the most adorable thing in this world."

Eric's brow furrowed. He had never been laughed at more than during this time with Sookie. He didn't like it but he enjoyed her mirth and happiness. He smiled. "Please explain what is so funny."

"A horn dog is a person who thinks about sex all the time. It has nothing at all to do with the animal."

"You enjoy calling me names, lover," he said, and Sookie would have felt bad if not for the playfulness she could feel from him.

"It's pretty fun. Okay, so the light. Get ready," she said, putting her hands on his bare chest. She concentrated on the feelings of unease and anxiousness she felt from him and thought about how she wanted him to feel instead. Her hands began to glow softly, and her light was immediately absorbed into his body. When Eric moaned quietly, she thought that she was sending the wrong kind of light but then his feelings morphed and she could feel only calm and happiness from him.

He sighed, which he had done last time she soothed him as such, and closed his eyes, his body relaxing completely into the bed in a way that was very un-vampirelike. Seeing him utterly at ease, Sookie stopped her light and removed her hands from his chest. She pet his serene face and ran her fingers through his soft hair, relishing in the feelings of deep contentment he was giving off.

"Eric?" she whispered, afraid to break him from his peaceful pose. His eyes opened slowly and he sighed again when he looked at his fairy.

"That was amazing," he said in an awed whisper. "I have never felt such…peace."

"What was it like? Claudine did it to me and it was like every bad feeling just melted away. Even my tiredness. I just felt…rejuvenated, I guess is a good word for it."

"Yes, everything I was feeling melted away and I was filled with warmth…your warmth. Like how I feel when I'm inside you or when I take your blood and your warmth flows into me. It was…I felt…loved." He smiled and rolled on top of Sookie. "Let me love you in return," he murmured, nuzzling her neck.

By the time Eric was done, Sookie felt very loved indeed. She also felt very tired and had to force her eyes not to close as she lay back on the bed. Being loved by a Viking Vampire was an intense experience.

"Come, Sookie. Dress yourself and I will heat you up some food."

Sookie looked up and Eric was standing above her completely dressed. She felt like she had only blinked since Eric was lying next to her naked but since he was a thousand year old vampire, it's entirely possible that she had. She smiled up at him and he pulled her up by her outstretched hand.

Once he left, Sookie pulled on some jeans and a light sweater, used the bathroom, and then fixed her hair.

"Let me," said Eric, coming into the bathroom to find her pulling her hair back into a ponytail. Sookie dropped the elastic and stood still while Eric fixed her hair into two tight braids on either side of her head. "Beautiful," he murmured, kissing her temple. "Your food is ready. Come and eat," he said and she followed him out to the kitchen.

Pam was already drinking a warm glass of blood when Sookie brought her meal to the table. As she stirred her microwaved pasta dinner, Pam sat across from her, watching her intently as she put the food into her mouth.

"You do not like it?" Pam asked, peering at Sookie's face.

"I like it fine," she answered. In reality, Sookie was not all that fond of the frozen ravioli but since Eric had made it for her, she was determined to enjoy it.

"But you do not make those noises, like when you ate the frozen dessert."

"The ice cream? What noises?"

Pam mimicked Sookie, moaning softly as Sookie turned bright red.

"Pam, you are embarrassing her. Stop that." Eric was amused with both Pam's mimicry and Sookie's reaction, but he did not want his bonded to feel uncomfortable eating around him.

"The noises are very pleasant, Sookie. There is no need to feel ashamed of your enjoyment. If Eric let me feed from a human, I'm sure I would sound much the same."

"Uh, okay," said Sookie, feeling suddenly very self-conscious about every sound that came out of her mouth as she ate the remainder of her meal.

Once both Pam and Sookie had finished, Eric began to plan for the evening. They would be meeting with Lafayette, Jesus, Holly, and Amelia this evening and Eric was wary of what they would find.

~~—~~—~~

"Let's get on with this," Eric said, obviously impatient. He was anxious to get things started and tired of the human exchange of greetings and hugs that he had witnessed for the past five minutes.

Sookie glared at him for his rudeness, after she stepped back from Lafayette's embrace.

He smiled. "Are we ready to start?" he said. Everyone turned to look at him, as he was the clear leader among them. He exuded power and every human there was willing to let him take charge.

Jesus stepped forward and Lafayette immediately clutched his hand for support. "I spoke with Marnie last night. I was trying to figure out what kind of spell she put on Pam."

"And?" said Eric, impatient with this human and wishing he would just get to the damn point.

"And, well, she didn't know…"

"What do you mean she did not know? How the fuck could she not know?" he bellowed.

Jesus stepped back away from the force of Eric's anger and put up his hands. Sookie stepped up to Eric and put her hand on his arm and he relaxed somewhat. Running a hand through his hair, he started again with a lowered voice.

"What did she say?"

"She…something is wrong with her. She is not the person I have come to know and I don't think she's even aware of some of the stuff she has done. Whatever has invaded her body, controls some powerful magic, that's all I know."

Pam began pacing back and forth, agitated by what she could feel from her Maker. Sookie took her hand to help her to feel better, aware of the fact that this may be the last time her new friend allowed such contact. Sookie had no idea how Pam would behave when she got her memories back. Would she forget everything that had happened while they were missing—or want to?

"It will be okay, Pam," Sookie whispered.

Amelia, who had been told what was really happening with Pam just that evening before they arrived, rushed to Pam's side to help her feel better. Now that she knew that this Pam was not the real Pam, she was worried what would happen if they reversed the spell. She liked Pam a lot and she knew she would be sad if Pam's personality changed drastically. Having no knowledge of the Pam that existed before she lost her memories, she only hoped that they could still forge a relationship after.

Sookie exchanged a smile with Amelia as she took Pam's hand, leaving Sookie to stand next to her Vampire once again.

"So, what is your plan for tonight?" Eric asked, trying hard to conceal his anger and distress.

"Well," said Jesus, looking toward Holly, "she knows of something we could try and we are just going to hope that with all of us here, we'll be able to do something."

"Hope," muttered Eric. He had very little.

"Okay, so what should we do?" asked Sookie.

"We need to go outside," said Holly, piping up for the first time. Eric's presence was intimidating her but she decided that Sookie would not be with him if he were not trustworthy. She was trying to put aside her fear so that she could call forth her magic and the spirits around her.

Once everyone was outside, Holly quickly drew a salt circle and had everyone step inside. Everyone but Eric, who waited impatiently outside of it, glaring at the humans in turn, and making them extremely uncomfortable.

Sookie moved close to Eric and kissed his cheek. "You have to stop looking at everyone like that. You're making them nervous and they need to be clearheaded for this."

"I will try," said Eric, wishing they had time for Sookie to give him some more of her healing light. Eric did not often feel completely at peace like he had then, and he wanted more of that feeling.

Holly quickly filled Amelia in as to what they were planning and then they all held hands around Pam, who was in the middle of the circle.

Soon everyone was chanting as Pam turned slowly to look around. Eric's eyes were focused on Pam, his love for her evident in his worried expression. Sookie held tightly to his hand and she could feel his fear as if it were her own. She tried to send him calm, figuring that if he could send her emotions then maybe she could do the same.

Instead, her hand began to glow against his. Just a small amount but it was enough to give Eric some measure of peace. Not the complete peace he had gotten before, but he calmed down considerably and felt much more at ease.

"Thank you," he whispered to his beloved fairy, bringing their clasped hands to his mouth to kiss the back of hers.

As the circle of friends continued to chant in the circle of salt, a hooded figure emerged from the trees. Eric was immediately on edge, growling, as he pushed Sookie behind him and turned to face the intruder.

"Vampire," said the witch that Eric recognized as Marnie. He saw in her eyes, the same look he had witnessed when she cursed Pam at her shop. "You dabble in magic that you do not understand."

"Fuck you!" he spat, stalking toward her.

The circle fell silent as Marnie raised her hand while chanting some foreign words at Eric. He growled and rushed toward her but then suddenly he stopped. He stood eerily still as the witch walked up to him. Even his chest stopped rumbling with his deep growl.

The witch touched the tip of her thumb to the tips of her middle and ring fingers, leaving her index and pinky fingers to stay up. Her hand looked like the head of a bull, her two extended fingers were its horns. She angled her hand sharply down and Eric dropped like an anchor, to his knees.

Sookie gasped and was on her way to Eric's side until she was held back by Lafayette.

"Marnie, what the hell are you doing?" yelled Jesus, running up to her side. "This is not going to get us out of any trouble with these vamps," he said quietly.

"Does it look like I need help getting out of trouble with these vampires?"

"Look, Marnie, just fix his friend, Pam, and they won't bother us anymore. Please!"

"Enough, Jesus! I will fix no one! These vampires need to go back to hell where they belong!"

"You fix them both, now!" screamed Sookie, rushing up to Marnie and standing in her face.

"I am no longer Marnie," said the witch. "Get your vampire loving face out of mine. I can smell him on you. You disgust me!"

"Sookie, come back here," pleaded Lafayette, holding out his hand to her.

"No, she did something to him. He won't even look at me." Sookie was bent down, trying to speak to Eric, who just stared silently forward.

"He is under my spell. He does what _I_ tell him now."

"That's impossible! He would never do what you want!" Sookie yelled. "Eric," she said softly, patting his cheek. "Please sweetheart, fight!"

"Oh, isn't that just the most precious thing," said the witch, laughing derisively. "She thinks he is in any way sweet. He is a vicious killer, girl! Watch!"

The witch said something in a foreign language and Eric sprang upright, stalking toward her with a ferocious roar. His hand was wrapped tightly around the witch's neck before Sookie had a chance to yell at him to stop. If she would have even yelled that.

One single word was uttered by the witch and then she was released and Eric was immediately back on his knees in front of her. She pet his head, stroking his hair back as if he were her little dog, just to show how complete her control over him really was.

Sookie began to cry and Lafayette put his arm across her shoulders, pulling her tightly into his body.

"Do you see, girl? He would have killed me without thought!"

"You made him! You hurt his child, Pam! What else is he supposed to do? I know he kills but I love him. Leave him alone. Just fix Pam and we'll leave, please!" Sookie sobbed.

"Oh, you _love_ him. Excuse me while I weep for your love for the devil! You are naive, child. He will just as soon kill you as love you back!"

"You're wrong! He loves me. You're wrong! You know nothing about him! Eric, fight!" she begged.

"I have had enough of you!" said the witch. She uttered some more words at Eric and he stood, coming close to Sookie.

For the first time that she could remember, Sookie felt real fear of him. Her eyes widened as her heartbeat galloped faster through her chest the nearer he came. She found herself hauled against Eric, her back against his chest, with his large hand covering her mouth and his other arm wound tightly around her middle.

Sookie screamed but it was muffled. She thought of the other time that Eric had done this to her but that was actually to protect her she now knew. Sookie was not afraid of him last time but this time she was terrified. Her Eric would never hurt her but this was not her Eric and she had no idea what the witch might make him do. But as frightened as she was, she did not want to harm Eric. She thought briefly of using her light on him—the destructive light—but she couldn't bear the thought of hurting him in any way.

Lafayette looked on in concern as his friend was being silenced by the one man he thought would never hurt her. Jesus moved toward Marnie to try to diffuse the situation as best he could. He needed to try to get through to his friend- he thought she must be in there somewhere.

"Jesus, your meddling needs to cease now. Leave these monsters to me. I will make all the vampires walk out into the sun before too long. These devils deserve to burn for what they've done!"

"These two have done nothing to you!" yelled Amelia, leaving the circle to come closer to the witch. She had been, until then, stunned by what was happening. She had seen how powerful Eric was and had witnessed how much he truly cared for Sookie. To think that he could now be made to hurt her, had Amelia trembling in fear. This witch they were dealing with was powerful indeed.

"Silence!" screamed the witch. She pointed to Eric and said something to him. His body immediately stiffened and his hand began sliding down from Sookie's mouth to her throat.

Now that her mouth was uncovered, Sookie tried to talk to Eric. "Please, Eric! It's me, Sookie. I know you don't want to hurt me. Fight her, Eric! Fight!" Sookie pleaded.

Eric's body vibrated with a deep growl as he registered Sookie's words. He tried desperately to stop his hand from moving down to Sookie's neck. He tried to relax his fingers so they would not tighten on her flesh. His body shook with his effort to curl his fingers so they wold not slide around her slender neck.

"Sookie," he rasped, his jaw clenched. He was in tremendous pain as he fought against the witch's hold but still, his body would not allow him to hurt her.

Pam, who was using the fact that everyone was focused on Eric to her advantage, had come around behind the witch. She stood silently, hoping that no one gave her position away. She saw Eric's hand moving toward Sookie's throat, and knowing how much her maker loved Sookie, she knew he would never forgive himself if he hurt her—even if he were forced. She felt Eric's fear and rage as if it were her own. Their bond was thrown wide open—he had no ability to shield her right then—and Pam was ravenous to get her hands on the witch who had cursed her and was causing her maker such pain.

Sookie noticed Pam's position and in an effort to keep the witch's attention to the front, she screamed. "Please! You're hurting him! He's fighting because he loves me! Can't you see that? You are wrong about vampires!"

As Marnie opened her mouth to, no doubt, negate Sookie's declaration about vampires, Pam struck. She jumped onto Marnie's back but Marnie whirled around, chanting, and the wind swirled around them.

As soon as her attention was elsewhere, Eric dropped to his knees, bowing his head silently. Sookie moved away from him, her mind torn on whether to kneel in front of him, caressing his quiet face and cradling his head. She longed to comfort him, comfort them both, with tender touches, but she needed to also help Pam. She did not want the witch to get Pam under her control as well.

Pam and the witch were facing off. Pam was snarling, her fangs were bared and she was holding onto Marnie's shoulders. Marnie was speaking rapidly and was getting ready to bring her hand up in the same way she did when she got Eric under her control. Sookie could not allow that to happen. She felt her hands tingling with power and looked down to see her Fairy light causing them to glow. She held them out in front of her as she watched the scene before her. She grew angrier and angrier and although she had never purposefully used her light to cause harm to another, she had never been more ready to. As her hands filled with power, she waited until Pam was out of the way to throw her light at the witch. A fraction of a second before she let it fly, Pam sped to the witch's back and grabbed her tightly, sinking her fangs into her neck. Sookie screamed, terrified that her new friend was going to be hurt by her light.

"Pam!" she shrieked, as both women fell to the ground. "Pam!" she yelled again, running over to her. She gasped as she took in the witch's unconscious form, blood pouring from the bite mark on her neck. Pam was under her body, her eyes closed, unmoving. Sookie was joined immediately by Amelia who was shrieking and crying like a mad woman.

"Pam!" screeched Amelia, pushing her hair off her face and leaning down close to her. Jesus came over to move Pam's body out from underneath the witch's, but still, she did not move.

Sookie's stomach dropped as she took in Pam's state. She felt incredibly guilty that she hurt Pam and had the awful and heart stopping thought that Eric would never forgive her for it and would turn her away. She began to sob, tears poured down her cheeks, as she fell to the ground next to Pam. She could sense Eric's presence behind her but he did not touch her, a fact that made her cry even harder.

"Pam," Eric whispered, standing above his progeny. Her eyes opened and the group gasped as a whole.

"What?" Pam asked, blinking slowly and looking around at the many faces peering down at her, "Is there something on my face?"

If the humans were wondering whether Pam was restored to her former self, her words and demeanor confirmed it. Lafayette and Jesus smiled for the first time in quite a while. They held hands and leaned against each other, feeling soothed by Pam's familiar attitude.

Sookie looked up at the sound of Pam's voice and quickly went to throw her arms around her where she sat on the ground. Pam was stunned and awkwardly patted Sookie on the head. When she backed up, both women stood. Eric rushed up to Pam, swiftly enveloping her in his strong embrace. His relief was palpable and the humans standing around had to stifle their awed responses. Everyone, that is, except for Amelia.

"Aww!" she said loudly. Eric and Pam turned to look at her. She smiled tentatively at Pam and Pam smiled back, much to her relief.

Pam soon stopped smiling, however, and looked down with a horrified expression on her face. "What the fuck am I wearing?" she said.

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><p><strong>So, Pam is better! Yay! How do you think she will feel about how she behaved while she had no memories? :) <strong>

**Maybe you also noticed that Sookie and Eric have some issues to deal with but don't worry, they will. Also that pesky witch- what do you think will be done with her? I know what Eric wants to do to her :)**

**Thanks for reading everyone! :D**

**Almost forgot- I have a new vampire one shot(in two parts) on my wordpress site. It's called Unexpected and it's set in the video store where they put Eric and Pam before it became Fangtasia on True Blood. It's very NSFW so it will not be posted here. Thx!**


	20. Chapter 20

**I know this update has taken forever but I hope there are still some readers out there!**

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><p>As soon as Eric was assured that his progeny was safe, he turned his black eyes on the witch who had cursed her. Eric could barely control his rage as he looked at her prone form. He stalked toward her, slightly disappointed that she was unconscious and he would not be able to play with her before he killed her. He crouched before her and looked her over with a sneer on his face.<p>

"You messed with the wrong fucking progeny," he spat at her. Her eyelids fluttered and he heard her heart falter in her chest. He grinned. She would wake before he tore her head off and ended her life. She would look into his furious eyes and she would know her fate before he handed it down. She would feel his wrath and she would know true fear. Eric Northman would make sure of it. "Open your eyes, witch!"

Her body twitched and Eric bent over her face so she would feel his breath as he spoke. "Ooopeeen," he sang, taunting her. As soon as her eyes fluttered open, Eric clamped a hand down over her mouth so she could utter so more spells. "Yes, good," he purred. "Look upon death itself. You think I am a vicious killer? You think I am capable of great violence?" He gripped the witch around her throat, cutting off her air supply and lifting her limp body from the ground as he stood. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA!" he roared, millimeters from her face. His voice echoed over the land, rattling the windows in Lafayette's house, and striking a paralyzing fear into the heart of the witch who dared to try to use him against his bonded mate.

The onlookers cowered, clutching each other and backing away slowly so as not to catch the eye of the irate Viking vampire in their midst. Amelia tried in vain to soothe a trembling Pam, who was getting so much rage and anguish over the bond that she could only stand in awe, watching her maker exact revenge for those he loved.

Sookie watched Eric shoot into the sky holding onto the witch, who he then promptly dropped from 50 feet up. He was on the ground before she hit it, his hand around her neck, crushing her larynx so that she had no hope of speaking again. He just wanted to hear her scream that one last time, as she had done while careening back down to Earth.

Sookie looked at Eric—at the gleeful smile twisting his face, at his wide excited eyes and fully extended fangs—and she shuttered violently, thinking how grateful she was not to ever be on the receiving end of that enraged vampire. She understood, though. She knew how scared he had been as he held her tightly under the witch's influence. She had felt his fear and his anger, and she had felt his determination not to harm her. She sent him love now, sent him trust and strength, even though he had plenty of his own. She wanted him to know that she accepted him—all of him—even the part of him that could be a scary motherfucker.

Eric, even in his state of all consuming bloodlust, felt the trickle of fear ripple over the bond from Sookie. He dropped the witch, whose legs splayed upon the ground at unnatural angles, and started toward his fairy's side. But halfway there he felt her love, he felt her acceptance and it wound around him warming him from the inside out. He lifted his face to the sky and bellowed. Bloodlust, love and joy coursed through his veins. His bonded sang to him through the blood and he needed to be near her more than anything. He had almost killed her while under the witch's spell and she was sending him her love! He did not deserve such a valkyrie!

He zipped back to the witch, still lying motionless on the ground. He gripped her neck and her head and with one twist, he removed her head from her body and threw it aside in disgust. The spirit invading her body was released as she died and they watched as she floated away on the wind, leaving them for good.

Eric went back to Sookie's side. He dropped to his knees again, this time clutching Sookie and bringing her with him. He kissed her face, desperate to reassure himself that she was alright. "Sookie," he whispered, cupping her face in his giant hands. His eyes searched hers for evidence of lasting anger or any hurt. "I'm so sorry, my love. I am so sorry for scaring you."

The rest of the crowd, seeing this ancient vampire on his knees in front of Sookie, whispering so fervently to her, decided to leave the couple in peace and privacy. They all went inside Lafayette's house, for some much needed alcoholic refreshment.

Pam reluctantly left Eric's side, and was led by Amelia into Lafayette's house with the others. She was torn in her duty to Eric but she knew he needed some time alone with his Sookie.

Sookie looked at Eric, at the desperation in his eyes and in his voice. "Eric, sweetheart, it's okay. It wasn't your fault. You fought the best you could. Please, Eric, it's okay." Sookie did not like to see her vampire so vulnerable as when he was in the witch's grasp but this, the way he was acting now, was even worse. He was desperately kissing, and fiercely clutching her to his body. The turmoil coming from him over their bond threatened to overwhelm Sookie with its intensity.

She pulled his face off of her neck and held it so that he would be forced to look into her eyes. "Sookie," he murmured. His eyes were dilated black, just the slightest touch of blue ringed his irises.

"Eric! Look at me. I'm alright. Okay? I'm fine. I'm not hurt, nothing is wrong with me. Okay? Let's stand up." Sookie got to her feet but when she tried to pull Eric up with her, she noticed the trembling of his body. He was shaking and as he looked up at her, she saw that his face had taken on that twisted mask of violence once more. "Eric?" she said, reaching for him.

"No! Leave me!" he barked, shooting to his feet with a feral growl. Sookie stumbled backward at his furious voice.

"What's wrong, Eric?" she asked in a frightfully small voice.

"Go!" he roared. "Please! I can't stop it this time!" He had blocked the bloodlust before but as he felt it grip him once more, he knew that no amount of effort on his part to end it before it played out fully, would be successful.

Sookie was just about to go to him and offer him her light but before she could reach him, he straightened his body and rocketed up into the air.

"Eric!" she yelled after him, watching as he disappeared from view.

He kept flying and soon Sookie heard the sound of splitting wood and huge trees falling to the ground.

Eric was even angrier than he had been when Bill tried to abduct his precious bonded. He had almost hurt Sookie! Taking his revenge on the witch had sated his blood lust for the few moments it took for him to reassure himself that Sookie was unharmed. But as soon as he knew she was well enough, his voracious appetite for destruction and blood had come back tenfold. He could not trust himself around Sookie at that moment, especially since he had almost hurt her before. He flew fast into the forest and began uprooting tree after tree and hauling them as far as he could. Raging in a forest was particularly dangerous for a vampire but Eric was not in his right mind.

Sookie stood frantically listening for Eric. She heard crash after crash and Eric's voice, bellowing roar after roar into the moonlit night.

"Eric!" she yelled desperately, "Come back! Let me use my light to make you better!" She knew he'd be able to hear her but she wasn't sure if his mind would register her pleading words.

The forest noises stopped for a second and Sookie took a breath. She hoped Eric was on his way back to her for a dose of her light. She listened intently, wishing to hear his movement.

"Eric?" she called.

He landed in front of her—her dirty, disheveled warrior, her beautiful Viking. He had his head down, his arms at his sides, hands clenched. When he looked up, the murderous glint in his eye made her gasp.

"Now, Sookie. Do it now or I fear what I might do!"

The golden light she threw dropped him instantly to his knees. His chest heaved as he took a huge shuddering breath in and blew it out slowly. He looked up at her, and relief swept through her body. He was coming back to her. The hard look in his eye had softened and he looked at her with devotion instead.

"Eric?" she whispered, walking slowly to him.

"Lover," he breathed. He stood and threw his arms around her when she got close enough. She buried her face in his chest and breathed him in. Mingling with his crisp ocean scent was the smell of dirt, pine sap, and freshly split wood. He smelled earthy and Sookie was reminded of the smell of Godric before he met his untimely end. Her heart hurt for Eric but she didn't want to cause him any more grief tonight so she put those feelings behind her.

As soon as she had Eric in her arms, he took off into the air again, flying high above the land. Sookie shrieked and clasped him tighter.

"What are you doing?" she screamed.

He bent his head and spoke softly in her ear. "I'm flying you home so I don't fuck you on the grass outside your friend's house." He said this as if it were a normal occurrence and she should have known better.

Sookie squeaked as he began his descent. The distance was nothing to a fast flying vampire and their flight took only three minutes. Still, as he let Sookie go once he landed, she felt dizzy and disoriented. He held her arm until he could tell that the feeling had passed.

"Don't do that!" Sookie yelled, hitting his chest with her small fists. He chuckled and caught her hands.

"I should have ripped your clothes off and had you on the lawn?"

She squinted up at him. "No! Of course not! You should have told me that you wanted to go to my house!"

"Please forgive me, my dearest Sookie. I was impulsive and quite rude. Allow me to escort you into your house so that I may fuck you into oblivion."

"Eric Northman!" she admonished. She couldn't help the smile that snuck onto her face and when Eric saw it, he smirked and winked. He scooped her up and started up the stairs to her farmhouse but some movement on her porch caught her eye. "Claudine? What are—"

"Sookie! You must get him inside! His King has betrayed him—"

Claudine was cut off as a silver net was launched at Eric's back. He stumbled forward, landing heavily on Sookie, who could not budge him. Her back was bent painfully over her top step, her arms pinned down by an immovable vampire.

The smell of burning flesh filled her nose and Sookie screamed upon realizing it was Eric's flesh that was smoking. "Eric!" she screamed.

"Sookie," he grunted out. The net was burning into his skin and weakening his body. "Sookie, you must get out before they capture you. I will be okay. Please save yourself, my love."

With the last bit of strength that Eric possessed, he lifted himself the slightest amount so that Sookie could try to crawl out from under his huge body. She only managed to wiggle a little, freeing one arm and one leg.

"Claudine!" he gritted out. His strength was gone and Sookie was still trapped beneath him. Sookie's Fairy cousin was her only hope. "Save her!" he pleaded, his voice barely a whisper. He was aware of the King's guards along with Nan Flanagan's helmeted men slowly closing in on them. Soon it would be too late. If they got to his Sookie, if they hurt her—he was snarling at the thought. He couldn't allow that to happen.

"Sookie, take my hand!" called Claudine.

Sookie looked at Eric and tried unsuccessfully to remove the silver net from his skin. There was just too much of it and it was too heavy for her to throw it off of him with just one hand. She saw Claudine, saw her outstretched hand and knew that if she touched it, Claudine would pop them to safety. But she couldn't leave her vampire. "Eric!" she whispered hoarsely. "I can't leave you! What will they do to you?"

"Sookie, please. Whatever they do to me, I can take. As long as I know you are safe, I can hold out. Please go." He looked at her, blood tears welling in his eyes. Still she did not move. Tears streamed hotly down her cheeks as she stared into his eyes. Eric mustered up his last bit of strength, took as deep a breath as the netting allowed, and yelled, "Go!"

Sookie jumped, her eyes widening. She sobbed and nodded, holding out her hand to Claudine. "Please, not to Fairie!" she pleaded. She didn't want to be in another realm while her bonded was suffering for who knows how long. She wanted to stay and try to fight for her vampire. "I love you," she whispered to Eric.

Claudine grabbed Sookie's hand. "Hold on!" she yelled. Sookie felt a strange pressure all around her body, as if she were being squeezed and stretched. She saw a blinding light behind her closed eyes and then suddenly all was quiet and she was in the still night air. She opened her eyes and blinked slowly as her head stopped its spinning.

As soon as she saw where she was, she fell to her knees sobbing.

~~—~~—~~

"I love you, too, my fairy," he whispered as she disappeared.

The second Sookie left his side, Eric felt all his strength flow from his body as the silver net did its job. He heard Nan yelling at Bill about letting the fairy slip through their fingers and Eric was glad that Claudine was there to take her away. He couldn't let himself think of what might have happened to her had she been caught with him. He only hoped Claudine could keep her safe and that Sookie would know to contact Pam, who could send help. He had the sudden arresting fear that Sookie might foolishly attempt a rescue herself but he hoped that Claudine would prevent her from acting rashly. He knew how big her heart was and how much she needed to help her loved ones but he needed her to be rational and think about her own safety as well as his.

"Get him in the house!" Nan yelled to her guards. They wore gloves so they could haul both Eric and the silver net into Bill's house and down to his jail in the basement. Eric snarled as they dragged him across the cemetery.

Bill laughed derisively. "Not so tough now, are you, Viking?" he sneered, walking alongside Eric's limp body.

"Let me out of this net and I will show you how I will end you!" gritted Eric. The silver nets were eating at his skin, coming dangerously close to cutting off tendons that would render him unable to move.

Bill continued to taunt Eric all the way into his basement where they dumped Eric before removing the silver. Eric lay unmoving on the hard ground.

"And now we will find your little fairy girlfriend and figure out how to put her to good use!" said Nan.

Eric growled and pulled himself up to a sitting position against the concrete wall. "I never thought you would betray her like this, Bill. Didn't you just claim to love her?"

Bill frowned and stepped closer to the cell. "I will not let harm come to her. You know she is better off with me than she is with you! I am King! I will protect her!"

"By leaving her vulnerable without her mate?" Eric could feel Sookie's terror and sadness. As much as he did not like to know how upset she was, he was happy that the bond did not just blink out as it had done so long ago when she went away for an entire year.

Bill was outraged to hear Eric refer to Sookie as his mate. He clenched his fists and screamed, "Sookeh is mine!"

Nan laughed at Bill as if he were a stupid child. "That bitch is mine!" she yelled before making her way upstairs muttering about hungry puppy dogs.

"You have put her in danger, Bill. How stupid are you? Wait, don't answer that. I am going to kill you either way, but if Nan or one of her gay stormtroopers lays one revolting finger on _my_ bonded, I will make your death as slow and as torturous as possible. You will wish you were Nan's butt boy, you will wish you were the plaything of the entire state in your ridiculous rule, when I am done with you." Eric was slumped on the floor, blood and burnt skin smeared all over him and hanging off, but the quiet rage in his voice made Bill swallow hard as he backed away from the cell.

"You—you will never see Sookeh again!" shrieked Bill before vamping up the stairs to the safety of his daychamber.

When the sun rose that day, the thousand-year-old vampire could not fight it—not even for a minute. He had lost too much blood and his body was not healing. His chest ached with the distance from his Fae mate and her grief was like constant pangs of agony throughout his insides. When he died for the day, it was a blessing for him to be finally free of all the pain. At least for a little while.

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><p><strong>I'm hopeful the next update won't take as long! I know where this story is going now and there should be 4-5 more chapters of this left. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	21. Chapter 21

Pam was on her knees in front of a splayed Amelia when she felt rage and anguish ricochet through the bond she shared with her maker. Having felt his bloodlust in spades earlier in the evening, she knew that the pain she felt from Eric meant that this was not the same thing. She was immediately on her feet, her fangs fully extended as she felt his fear spike before a devastating pang of agony nearly brought her back to the ground.

"Eric!" she shrieked.

Amelia was up and by her side in an instant. "What is it, Pam? What happened?" she asked, quickly fastening her pants.

"Something's happened to Eric. I can feel his pain." She had her phone out and dialed before Amelia could say anything else. When it rang and rang, Pam cursed and had to stop herself from either grinding the phone into dust in her palm or hurling it into the woods by Lafayette's house.

"Do you know where he is? Get in the car and we can drive there."

"No, I can't track him like he can track me. Besides, he has shut down the bond and I can no longer feel him." She knew he shut his side down to spare her the agony but she felt like she wanted to help him shoulder the pain. She paced furiously, wondering what to do. "Anyone who could cause him so much pain is either old and very powerful or stupid as hell."

"What do you want to do?" Amelia did not like to see Pam so upset. She knew a maker/child bond was a precious thing though she could not really fathom the depth of devotion that Pam felt for Eric. "Should we go back to your house?"

"That's not my house. My house is decorated much better than Eric's man cave. I don't live with Eric, I just stayed there while I was behaving like a stupid little mouse."

"Oh…" Amelia didn't know what to say. She was glad Pam remembered her and still seemed to like her but this Pam was nothing like the Pam she first met.

"Come on, let's go to my house and you can sleep there tonight. Dawn is coming soon. I will make a few phone calls before that, you can eat my snatch, and then tomorrow we will find the sons of bitches who took my maker."

"Oh! Um, okay…" Yes, this Pam was nothing like the one she knew.

Once at Pam's house, which was as ornate and elaborate as Eric's house was understated, she took Amelia inside and disappeared into her office to call Isabel for help.

"Pam, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"This isn't pleasure, unfortunately," she purred. Pam had always found Isabel quite attractive and she had tried unsuccessfully to get into her pants over the years. It seemed Isabel's proclivities leaned toward dick, though she was one of the few long term associates that Eric hadn't fucked. Perhaps that was why they worked so well together. People that had experienced the Viking's prowess often became unattractively clingy and it ruined their working relationship.

"Then what is it? I had expected Northman's call tomorrow about the situation with your king."

"Eric's been taken."

"Taken?"

"Kidnapped, abducted, captured? Someone's got him. I felt it about an hour ago before he closed off the bond. Will you help him?"

"Of course. Call Nora, she will help as well."

Pam sighed. "I can't stand that bitch. But yes, I will call her to help my maker."

"Good. I will be there as soon as the sun permits tomorrow night. Meet me at Eric's house."

Pam hung up and then dialed the last person she ever wanted to talk to again.

"Pam," spat Nora into the phone. "You are interrupting my bedtime snack. What do you want?"

"Someone's taken Eric. About an hour ago. Isabel will be at Eric's house by the lake tomorrow night. Will you help him?" she gritted out between clenched teeth. To have to ask Nora for anything was infuriating but she would do whatever it took to get her maker back.

"Of course I will help, what kind of a sister do you think I am? I will be there as soon as I can."

Eric's command to treat his vampire sister with respect was still in order it seemed because Pam was unable to call Nora the choice name in her mind. "Thank you," she said instead.

~~—~~—~~

Sookie stood slowly and looked around. "Where are we? Why are we in the middle of nowhere?" Her chest throbbed with the loss of her mate. She was starting to recognize the open field at the edge of the tree line in Bon Temps but she couldn't figure out why Claudine would have taken her there.

"Sookie, there is Fae magic here, can you feel it? There is a hidden portal where more of your family are gathered."

Sookie felt for the presence of more Fae magic. "Please, don't take me to Faerie! I can't leave Eric! Last time I was there a few minutes was a year over here. He'll die! They'll kill him!"

"Sookie," Claudine soothed. "This is not in the realm of Faerie. Do not worry. We will gather forces to help your vampire." Claudine put her arm around Sookie's shoulders, helping her calm down. "Come, there is someone here who wishes to meet you…and someone who has missed you."

When Sookie looked again, she saw the entrance to a sort of circus tent materialize in front of her. Standing in its mouth shaped entrance were Jason and an older man with white shaggy hair. He was dressed in an immaculate white suit and he had an air of great power about him.

"Jason!" Sookie yelled, running to her brother. She collapsed against his chest and he held her up.

"Whoa, sis! What's wrong?" he asked.

Sookie, realizing that Jason knew nothing of her life for the past few weeks, didn't know how to tell him what had happened. She realized she had not even heard from Jason in all that time, despite having left him messages.

"Where have you been, Jason?" she questioned, concern for him taking over her heart for a moment.

"I, uh, I got into some trouble in Hot Shot," he answered sheepishly.

"I had to rescue this boy from a bunch of inbred werepanthers!" said Niall, impatient to be introduced to Sookie.

Sookie turned toward the strange man at her side. "I'm sorry? And who are you?" she asked. "You're the man who wants to meet me?" Sookie squinted at the man. He was definitely other and since Claudine had brought her to him she guessed he must be Fae.

"Sook, this here is our great great great, or was it great great? Maybe just great…well, hell, Sook, he's our granddaddy!"

"Our granddaddy? What about Earl?"

"Yeah, he was our granddaddy so Niall must be our great granddaddy…or somethin'."

Sookie turned toward Niall for confirmation. "How do we know this?"

"Because my child, I have been watching you your entire lives."

"It's true, Sook!" interjected Jason. "He even knew that I broke my middle finger as a kid and I was mad cuz I couldn't flip Hoyt off no more!"

"If you've been watching over us, why have things been so hard for us?" Sookie demanded.

"Unfortunately, your grandaddy Earl would not let us interfere in your lives. I regret the difficult things in your life, child. I would have helped if I could."

Sookie looked at Niall and could see that he was telling the truth. "So why are you here now?"

"Because Earl is gone and you are in danger. I wish to help you now that I am able." Niall bowed his head in petition, aware of the many hardships in his granddaughter's young life.

"What can you do to help?"

"I know your bonded has been taken. I know the members of the Vampire Authority that might be able to help him. It seems Nan Flanagan was supposed to meet her end along with King Bill but instead, she decided to mutiny. Delusional, both of them. I don't know what they hope to accomplish."

"Wait, who's her bonded? What's that even mean? And who's Flan Nanagan?" Jason was stumped and he looked around wildly at whoever might be able to answer his questions.

"Nan Flanagan is the bitch who took my bonded, Eric Northman."

"Aw don't tell me you're involved with them blood suckers again, Sook! I thought you got rid of 'em when you were away."

"I'm in love with him, Jase. He's so much better than Bill. You don't really know him but when this is all over, I promise you will like him…or at least respect him. He's a good man."

"He's a fanger, Sookie!"

"Jason, Sookie is right that Eric Northman is an honorable man. They've been trying to get him onto the Authority council for years. I should know, they've been trying to get me on there, too."

"They have?" said both Sookie and Jason at the same time.

"On the vampire council? Why?" asked Sookie.

"Unite the supe races, blah blah blah. I don't know. I have been ignoring them." He winked before continuing. "But I'm sure they don't know what the king and that Nan Flanagan have done to the Northman. I hope you will let me help you and contact them about this."

"You know how to contact this Authority?"

"I do, child. The Northman has many allies on the council, most of all his vampire sister, Nora."

"Eric has a vampire sister? What? He certainly has some explaining to do when I see him!" The thought of seeing Eric again caused pain to roll through her chest, making a deep breath almost impossible.

"Vampires are secretive, my dear…much like Fae. Much like any supernatural being, really. It's what keeps us alive." Sensing her pain, Niall placed a hand on her shoulder, the soft glow of his light flowing into her body.

"Hmm, I guess," she said softly, her breathing easing slightly. She tried not to think about what must be happening to her love right now. She hoped he was still alive. She was sure she would have felt it if he had died but she did not want to think about what was happening to him.

"So, shall we go in and meet some more members of our family?" Niall's eyes sparkled as he gestured toward the tent.

Sookie could hear club music coming from the tent entrance and beautiful creatures passing by in very skimpy clothing. "I have more family?" she asked.

"Sook! There's a mess a fairies in there. Now I know where I get my good looks and excellent skills with the ladies from."

Sookie just shook her head as she followed Niall and Jason into the tent.

~~—~~—~~

"Wakey, wakey, Northman," sing-songed Nan, poking a mostly naked, strung up Eric with a silver rod. Even silvered and attached to a chain in the ceiling, he was a formidable opponent and Nan was keeping her distance.

When his foot came into contact with her leg, she yelped and backed up even further.

"Now, now, is that any way to treat your hostess?" she asked once she had regained her balance. His foot had not made significant contact in his weakened state. "I wouldn't want to have to mistreat you. Don't make me turn the liquid silver ceiling sprinklers back on. Behave, Mr. Northman, and this will all be over."

Eric lifted his head, looked straight into the eyes of his captor and smirked. "Fuck you!" he gritted out.

"Ooh, so eloquent," she said, plunging the silver rod into his side.

Eric grit his teeth and grimaced but did not cry out. "Where's your little pawn this evening? Or hasn't he the stomach for torture?" Eric's voice was mostly a whisper but the venom in his words could be clearly heard.

"You call this torture? Come now, Northman. You and I have been alive long enough to know what real torture is. This…this is merely a preview."

"What do you want? You are a fool if you think there will not be repercussions for these actions!"

"Oh my. How awful for me," she pouted. "I think it's obvious what I want. I want that little telepathic fairy that has you and Bill salivating like Pavlov's dogs."

"You will never get her!"

"Never is a long time, Sheriff. You should know. I am prepared to be patient. I can wait until you are so starved and beaten that you will be out of your mind with hunger. You will tell me anything. You will do anything for me, including using your precious bond to find my little fairy hybrid."

The thought that it could come to that made the pain in Eric's chest triple as a cold fear gripped him. Would he ever betray his love in that way? Even if he were starving and tortured? It was a split second of pondering before Eric decided that he would never give up the light he found in Sookie. He would never give in to Nan Flanagan no matter what she did to him. There had to be a way out and he would find it.

"Why do you even want her? Her blood does not allow us to walk in the sun if that's what Bill told you."

"I am not that stupid, Sheriff. I don't want her blood. Do you know who she is? Do you know who her grandfather is? I doubt she even knows. No, Sookie serves two purposes…well, one really, but with two pawns. Sookie's purpose, my dear Mr. Northman, is to keep you in line. Both you and her grandfather, and given your pathetic devotion to her, I have no doubt you will do whatever I say once I have her!"

"You will never have Sookie! Never! I will kill you and bathe in your blood before you lay one filthy finger on her!"

"Tsk, tsk, Northman. What would she think if she heard you talking like that? You don't want to scare your precious human hybrid."

Eric remained silent, knowing that Sookie accepted all of him—the vampire that could exact a painful revenge on one who hurt him or his family as well as the sweet lover who shared her bed. His chest warmed briefly with thoughts of her love but pain quickly replaced the good feelings as he felt her grief awaken with her mind. The tumble he felt—from warm happy feelings to utter sadness—could only be explained by the world careening back into her mind as she fully woke up. At least she had slept. He was glad for that.

"Listen up, Northman! Enough of this! I have people out looking for your sweet little fairy right now. You want to remain quiet, fine. But know this—when I do find her, I will have to reward my men in some way, and what better prize than the blood of a sweet delicious fairy hybrid? You know well what goes along with blood for a vampire, yes? Do not be surprised when she is returned to your side slightly more worn than when you last saw her."

Eric's eyes snapped to hers and as she continued to speak, the rage contained in his gaze grew more and more fiery until it burned white hot. The only sound that escaped his mouth was a fierce low growl as his clenching muscles pulled on the chain to which his hands were bound. The beams in the ceiling creaked and groaned with his movements and Nan backed quickly across the room to the cell door.

"Remember what I said, Viking. Help me locate her and she will be brought right to you. Make me find her myself and my men take turns with her for a night before you even see her. Oh, but you'll feel her won't you?" Nan gave him a look of mocking sympathy, a sad little smile on her face. "I'm sure you don't want to be responsible for the terror and revulsion you will feel from her." She exited the cell and pushed a button that released the chain on which Eric hung. He was dropped to the floor where he landed in a heap. "Think about it!" she called as she made her way up the stairs.

Eric pulled himself to a seated position against the wall. If he wasn't weakened, he would be raging and destroying anything he could get his hands on. Instead, he sat shaking with fury, murderous thoughts flying through his mind. He would kill Nan Flanagan and every single one of her ridiculously dressed guards. If she thought there would be no repercussions to her actions, he would show her just how wrong she was.

~~—~~—~~

Upon waking from her day death, Pam immediately felt for her connection to Eric but found it still closed off. She could tell he was alive, or un-dead, but she could not feel anything else from him. She knew he was trying to protect her but she also knew she owed him a great deal more than he would ever acknowledge. She wanted to feel his pain, imagining that he felt her pain and terror as she was held by the Magister while he pretended to be loyal to the man who had slaughtered his entire family. Eric Northman never wanted to appear weak, however. He would never let her feel his pain and never even shared his millennium old vendetta with her. She had seen him share himself with Sookie in the past week and the thought of how happy she had known him to be, made an unfamiliar warmth grow in her chest. That pretty little fairy hybrid made Eric shine with happiness and she would do everything she could to return that happiness to him.

"Sookie!" she suddenly said, startling Amelia, whose thighs she was between. She was sorry to prematurely end her first live meal in way too long.

Amelia sat up. "Why are you thinking of her while you're drinking me?" she asked. She was unsure how much more of this new Pam she could take. This new Pam didn't even let her sleep in her day chamber with her, instead relegating her to a guest bedroom on the main floor of her house.

"No! I was only thinking of Eric but what if Sookie was captured too? If whoever has Eric, has Sookie also…"

"Eric will go crazy if anyone hurts her!" Amelia supplied. "How can we find out?"

Pam healed Amelia's inner thigh and stood up, pacing quickly to the door. "I know where she lives but that's all. I must meet Isabel at Eric's house and then we can pay her a visit and see what's happened with her."

"I'm coming too!" said Amelia. Sookie was a good friend to her and she wanted to try to help.

Pam smiled at her companion and put an arm around her shoulder. "Have I told you how grateful I am for your company?"

Amelia blinked twice, speechless, as the old Pam seemed to make an appearance. "Uh, no…"

"You're a good friend, Amelia…and you're excellent at eating twat. Come along!" she said as she opened the door to her garage.

Amelia was speechless once again but as her legs started working, she smiled and shook her head. Pam was definitely going to be a challenge.

"You drive a minivan?" Amelia asked, her mouth gaping at the large vehicle in Pam's garage.

"Yes, get in."

"This is really not the kind of car I would expect a vampire to drive, let alone a vampire like you."

"Well," said Pam with one raised eyebrow, "you never know when you might need to haul a body. Besides, it's been modified—big car, big engine." She revved said engine just before gunning it down the street in route to Eric's house by the lake.

Amelia clutched whatever she could hold onto as Pam sped along. Just when she thought she was about to be sick all over her pristine leather interior, Pam slowed to a stop outside of Eric's house.

"You're just as bad as Eric!" Amelia gasped as she scrambled to exit the vehicle.

Pam winked. "Who do you think taught me how to drive?"

The time for jokes was soon over as Pam spotted Isabel waiting on Eric's back deck overlooking the lake. The two nodded formally to each other as Pam walked up, followed closely by Amelia.

"Eric has a beautiful property," mused Isabel. "I've never been here before."

"If you go for the secluded natural beauty thing, I suppose. Thank you for coming, Isabel. This is Amelia. My…friend."

Isabel looked at Pam with a small raise of her eyebrows at this news. Pam was not known for having friends—vampire or human. "Pleasure to meet you," said Isabel with a small nod to Amelia.

"Thank you. It's my pleasure as well."

"Now…let's get down to business. Tell me what you know of Eric's whereabouts."

"Last time I saw him he was with Sookie. We were in Bon Temps at her friend's house."

"Eric was at the house of a human friend of Sookie's? My, my, I guess a tiger _can_ change his stripes."

"Had I not seen how happy she makes him, I'd be saying the same thing. I'd be ready to kill her for how vulnerable she makes him…but even I can't deny how much he cares for her, and she for him. It's disgusting, really," she smirked.

"So he was nearby when you last saw him and you felt his rage shortly after?"

"Yes. Only a few minutes later."

"So he must have been taken very close to where you were. And what would be close that he would head toward?"

"Sookie's house!" said Pam and Amelia, having come to the same conclusion simultaneously.

"Sookie's house. Good. Then this is where we shall go."

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading! I know I didn't get them to safety yet but forces are amassing and the showdown is coming! I hope you enjoyed this and especially the much shorter wait for a new chapter! :)<strong>

**Don't forget to check out my wordpress site at victoryintrouble. I have lots and lots of stories that are there but not here. I started a new one called "Captive," that is a very different kind of story than I've ever done. There are two parts posted. It will be a short 4-5 part story set in the past, AU...**

**But first- tell me what you thought of this chapter! :) Thanks!**


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